Nobody Else Will Ever Know
by Nightmocha
Summary: I won't accept ATWT's ending of Luke & Reid. So I continued the LuRe story.  This includes Violence, Angst, Suspence, and Strong Sexual Content.
1. Chapter 1

Nobody Else Will Ever Know

By NightMocha

Luke exited the building of the Reid Oliver Nurology wing and headed for his car in the dimly lit parking garage. It was evening and he just came from a meeting with the board. The wing was now complete. Patients were starting to come in from all over the country, being treated by the best doctors Luke had been able to recommend.

Of course, none of them could measure up to the one man the wing had been named for.

Luke could imagine the un-flattering critiqes the brilliant Dr. Oliver would have made about them.

Luke absently stared at the concrete as he walked. It was impossible not to think of Reid when he was here, which lately wasn't very often. He'd taken on a few new projects with his Snyder Fountation which thankfully kept him busy. He had nothing else left. Noah, Casey and Allison were gone. He didn't even have Maddie or Jade anymore. Everyone he cared about was gone, yet he knew he could still see them one day. That wasn't the case with Reid. He had truly lost his Doctor forever.

Reid had been gone about three months. Some days were okay. Then there were days like today when he had to come to the new wing for a meeting. When he had to walk into the wing and see the beautifully painted mural of Reid hanging in the lobby. And when he had to listen to everybody's annoying, redundant words of condolences. He hated it. It made everything so painfully fresh.

Luke approached his car and climbed inside. He put on his seat-belt, stuck the key in the ignition, but didn't turn it on just yet. Propping his elbow on the door, Luke leaned his forhead in his hand and sighed heavily. He tried to avoid the hospital whenever he could. It would be easy to just resign from the board and never look back; however he simply couldn't do it. The nurology wing belonged to Reid. And no matter how hard it was to enter the building, Luke couldn't just walk away. He had to take care of it and make sure everything was the way Reid would want.

Right now he just needed to get out of here. Luke raised his head and started the car. He was about to shift into reverse when, suddenly, a gloved-hand snaked around the seat and tightly clamped over his mouth.

"I'm not here to hurt you," A muffled male voice spoke close to his ear. "Just stay calm."

Luke froze with shock. So deep in thought, he never noticed anyone was in his car. His first instinct was to pull away, but he stopped himself. Whoever the guy was, he could have a gun or knife.

"If I remove my hand will you stay calm?" The guy asked from the backseat.

Luke looked through the rearview mirror. The dim parking garage provided little light inside his car. All he could really tell was the guy had dark hair. The guy's face, from the nose down, was hidden behind a bandana. Luke finally nodded.

"Like I said, I'm not here to hurt you," The guy removed his gloved-hand from Luke's mouth, "I need to talk to you."

"Look," Luke held up his hands, "if you want the car, just take it. Let me out and you can go."

"I don't want your car."

"Then what do you want?"

"I need you to drive. Take me where I tell you and I'll explain everything, understand?"

Unnerved, Luke sat still for a few seconds. There was no way he was going to drive this guy out of town only to be dumped dead in a ditch. Without another thought, Luke hit his seatbelt release button and opened the car door, ready to jump out. The guy grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling him back. Luke tried to manuver out of his jacket, but in his panic, caught himself in the seatbelt straps. He hit the car horn, but as soon as he did, he felt something sharp and painful stab into the side of his neck.

Gasping, Luke instintively clutched his neck. After a few seconds he fell against the seat, feeling an unreasonble need to sleep. He knew he had to get out of the car, but he couldn't muster the strength to do anything. When the guy reached over the seat and jerked the keys out of the ignition, Luke could see a hypodermic needle in his hand.

"What did you… what did you do to me?" Luke could hear himself thickly slurring.

"You didn't give me a choice." The guy replied.

Luke wanted to ask what was going to happen to him, but wasn't sure if he ever said the words. The world faded to black.

Next thing Luke knew, he was no longer in his car. He was lying on something that felt like a bed. Slowly he opened his eyes and tried to take in his surroudings. Everything felt so fuzzy and looked hazy; he wondered if he was actually dreaming. He blinked several times until his eyes adjusted more, and his heart began to pound with fear. He wasn't at home in bed. He didn't know where he was! He tried to move but couldn't. Whatever poison the guy injected into him, had turned his mucsles into lead, weighing his entire body down. His heart pounded faster.

"Don't be scared," The guy appeared out of nowhere and knelt beside him. "I swear, I'm not going to hurt you."

The guy's voice was strangly, confusingly, calm. However, Luke felt anything but calm. He tried to move again but it was useless. He closed his eyes in dispair. "What do you want from me?" he managed to murmer.

"To see you again," His abductor replied, "one last time."

_See you again?_ Luke struggled to open his eyes, unsure if he'd heard correctly. His head felt like it was floating off his body; he couldn't keep a grasp on his thoughts. He didn't know who this person was. Or did he? Something seemed firmiliar. The guy no longer wore the bandana, however his thick dark bread hid most of his facial features.

The guy touched Luke's cheek. He no longer wore a glove and his hand was soft, even carressing. Luke felt his pounding heart skip a beat. He recongnized the touch. Not just the touch, but the voice. For the first time he looked into the guy's eyes – piercing blue eyes Luke would never forget. "Reid?" No. It wasn't possible.

"Close you're eyes," The guy replied. "You're barely concious. Give it another twenty minutes."

Luke closed his eyes. He knew Reid wasn't here. He really _was_ dreaming.

Reid watched Luke for several seconds until he was sure Luke was completely out. He brushed some of Luke's hair off his forehead. Luke had let his hair grow out. Reid twirled a long brown lock around his finger. He'd always liked Luke's long bangs.

"What the hell are you doing?" Reid scolded himself. He stood and moved away from Luke. From the moment he'd stepped back into this god-forsaken town, he knew this was a mistake. This had to be the stupidist thing he could possibly do, but he did it anyway. And now, there was no turning back.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Luke opened his eyes. He lay on the bed for several seconds as his fuzzy memory slowly returned then cautiously sat up and looked around the room. Two candles sat on a old dusty box, providing just enough light that Luke could see nothing but dusty boxes sitting everywhere. He climbed off his bed and saw he'd been laying on a pile of narrow mattresses stacked against the wall. The room looked like a storage building. _Where the hell am I?_

"Luke."

Luke spun around and caught his breath in his throat. How could this be possible?

Reid stepped out from behind a stack of boxes and walked up to Luke. "I know I look different, but it's me."

Luke could only stare at Reid for several seconds. "Oh my God." He threw his arms around Reid.

Reid held Luke tight, a wave of emotion suddenly flooding over him. He didn't know it would be this difficult. He was startled when Luke suddenly pulled away and shoved him.

"How could you do this?" Luke yelled, his voice shaking. Elation, fury, relief… how the fuck was he suppose to feel? "How could you let me think you were dead? Do you have any idea what I've been through? Do you even care?"

"I had no choice, Luke." Reid said.

"How can you not have a choice?" Luke yelled. "You chose to leave me—"

"No," Reid grabbed Luke's shoulders, "I wouldn't have left you. You've got to believe me."

"Why should I?" Luke choked. "I don't know what to believe. How can you be here? You were cremated. I put your ashes in the pond so you would always be with me, and now you're here and… and..."

"Shhh, it's okay," Reid pulled Luke close, wrapping his arms around him. "I know what you've done. I know everything that's happened."

"Then tell me, because I don't know what's happening."

"Just calm down," Reid gently pushed Luke back to the bed and sat next to him. "I'll explain everything. I just need you to keep it down and not bring any attention to us, understand?"

Luke looked around the room again. "Where are we?"

"One of the hospital's storage sheds. The one by the parking lot."

"Why?"

"Because nobody can see us talking." Reid said. "As far as the world is concerned, I'm dead. Only two people know I'm alive. And now you."

"What is this, some kind of witness protection thing?" Luke asked confused. "Did you fake your death?"

"No, this has nothing to do with witness protection." Reid said. "Lets just say a friend owed me one. He's the reason I'm dead."

"I don't understand."

Reid brought his hand to the back of Luke's neck, caressing his skin. "I'm going to tell you everything. Just listen, okay?"

Luke silently nodded, Reid's touch as soothing and warm as he remembered.

Reid listened for any sounds outside the door and, satisfied that no one was around, began his story. "A little over a year ago, when I was still in Dallas, I was helping out an ER one night. There was a multi-car accident and they needed all the doctors in the area they could get. At one point, two patients were brought in who weren't part of the accident. One was an FBI agent named Tony Michaels. The other was a man named James Thorne. James Thorne was a convicted murderer who'd escaped from prison. He was a fugitive. Thorne's family lives in Dallas and they tried to hide him, but Agent Micheals and his team tracked him down. Thorne wasn't going to go without a fight; he shot Agent Michaels, but Thorne ended up being shot too. So now they're both in this ER, under my care and in critical condition, but there was only one operating room available. James Thorne was in worse shape. I should have operated on him immediately, but I took Agent Michaels instead. By the time I was done, Thorne had died."

"Would he have died, otherwise?" Luke quietly asked.

"I don't know." Reid honestly answered. "A doctor isn't suppose to make a decision, based on how they personally feel about the situation, but I guess that's what I did. Thorne had murdered another man when he escaped—a corrections officer. Agent Michaels had a wife and new-born baby at home. I had a split-second decision to make and I made it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Luke asked.

"There was no reason to." Reid nonchalantly replied. "It's not like I can change it. It is what it is."

Luke thoughtfully regarded Reid. "This was how I was able to blackmail you into coming to Oakdale, isn't it? You thought I knew about this."

Reid nodded. "I don't regret the decision I made. I never will. But obviously it isn't something that I want advertised."

"I'm sure it was a difficult decision under the circumstances," Luke carefully stated. "I don't think you should have regrets. But what does that have to do with now?"

"Some of James Thorne's family were at the hospital." Reid continued. "They knew what I had done. They promised they would get revenge."

"Did they ever try anything?" Luke asked.

"Not at first. They threatened me plenty of times, but Agent Michaels had always 'unofficially' watched my back—he feels indebted to me. Michaels has always suspected they had a hit out on me, but could never prove anything. This family is very rich and powerful. They're the kind of people who've got dirty lawyers, politicians and cops in their back pockets. Agent Michaels has never been able to investigate them, because they know how to keep themselves looking clean.

Anyway, when you kidnapped me and brought me to Oakdale, I obviously didn't plan to stay. Even after Katie got Henry to donate the money for the wing, I was still going to leave, but Michaels insisted I stay. He felt my life depended on it."

"So that's the real reason you stayed in Oakdale." Luke said.

Reid looked Luke over. "Maybe that was my reason at first. Besides, I really wasn't worried about the Thorne family. I mean, seriously, do you know how many people have threatened me in my life?"

Luke faintly smiled. "Yeah, I've met a few. So you stayed in Oakdale and didn't think it was important to _ever_ tell me any of this."

"You would have been worried all the time," Reid simply explained. "And there was no reason for you to be."

"Obviously, there _was_ a reason to be worried," Luke said, a little exasperated, "because something must have happened, right?"

Reid sighed. "Yeah. Agent Michaels said I'd dropped off the Thorne family's radar, but I popped back up when I went to Dallas for the medical hearing. From there, they traced me back to Oakdale."

"Wait a minute! I put your life in danger when I took you to Dallas?" Luke was taken aback. "Reid if I had known—" 

"You didn't put my life in danger, you saved my career." Reid firmly interrupted. "If I'd lost my medical license, I would have been more than happy to let them shoot me."

Luke knew there was no use arguing that point. "So then what? The family knew you were in Oakdale so… you faked your death? How? I saw you at the hospital."

"I didn't fake my death." Reid corrected. "At least not intentionally. What you saw was real. Too damn real! When my car died on the railroad tracks, Agent Michaels said it was no accident. My car was low-jacked and I was being followed. The guys following me were hired hit-men. They had planted some kind of device inside my car that could make the engine shut off at the push of a button. I gave them the perfect opportunity when I was crossing the tracks—"

"And do you know how unbelievably stupid that was?" Luke couldn't help but point out. "I'm mean, honestly, Reid."

Reid rolled his eyes. "Yes I know, can we please not go there. Even a genius can have an off day. But seriously, if they hadn't shut off my engine, I could have made it."

"Whatever," Luke shook his head, "what happened after that?"

"Agent Michaels had come up with a plan and recruited John Dixon's help. Members of Michaels team had brought a body to the hospital and switched it with mine. Michaels and Dixon did the switch while everyone else was scrubbing in."

Luke frowned, "But Allison told me she saw you."

"She only thought it was me." Reid said. "The body was covered from the neck up. Nobody actually saw the face. Only John knew it wasn't me under there."

"Then who was it?"

"I don't know." Reid answered. "Micheal's wouldn't give me any details. All he would tell me was this person was an organ donor himself. And he was brain-dead."

Luke thought to himself. "Dixon told me you were brain dead and that you were gone. But I knew you weren't. I was right."

"Whatever Dixon told you, he was just going with Agent Michaels plan."

Luke was flabbergasted. "What about Bob? Was he in on this _plan_ too? Tom? Margo?"

"No," Reid answered, "Bob didn't know. _Nobody_ knew. Only John Dixon. Michaels choice him, because he was the one performing the surgery."

"You didn't even know?"

Reid shook his head. "I thought I was going to die, Luke. The odds of surviving a train wreck are next to impossible. If I'd known what was happening, I would have found a way to tell you. I would have never put you through what you must have went through."

Luke just nodded. Reid couldn't imagine what he'd gone through.

Reid cupped Luke's cheek. "I remember everything you said to me. I remember you kissed me and I remember thinking, I couldn't ask for a better way to die. Where the last thing I'll ever know and the last thing I'll ever feel is you kissing me."

Luke swallowed, unable to speak. He'd never heard Reid say something so beautiful. It made his own heart hurt.

Reid quickly cleared his throat. "Anyway, imagine my surprise when I woke up three weeks later. I was in a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Agent Michael's had created a new identity for me, a whole new life. I was furious at at first. I was never given a choice. But Michael's said the hit-man were hired to stay on the job and take me out by any means necessary. Plus they knew you and knew you and I were together. They would have used you to get to me then they would have killed you, leaving no witness. Agent Michaels said, after the wreck he had a split-second decision to make and he made it. Just like I did with him."

"So are you safe now?" Luke asked quietly.

"I think so." Reid said. "More importantly, y_ou're_ safe. As long as these guys think I'm dead, they'll have no reason to go after you."

Luke sat quietly trying to let it all sink in. "God, this is unbelievable. Who are you suppose to be now?"

"My name is Ryan Strickland." Reid answered. "I live in St. Louis, Missouri and I'm a neurosurgeon. Go figure."

"You're still a neurosurgeon?"

"Skills like this can't go to waste." Reid proudly pointed out. "Dr. Strickland has an impressive resume. He's not world renowned like Dr. Oliver, but trust me, he'll get there. I actually start work at the Shiner's Hospital this Monday."

Luke studied Reid's darker appearance. His hair was dyed almost black, even his beard. Luke brought his hands up to Reid's beard, lightly stroking the soft hair. "So this is your disguise?"

"You like it?"

Luke bit his lip. "It's… different."

"I take that as a no."

Luke lowered his hands. "So now what? Am I just suppose to go on, acting like you're dead? Because I can't."

"You've got to," Reid said. "I'm not suppose to return to Oakdale or Dallas. I'm not suppose to contact anyone I've ever known, especially you. You're the last person I'm suppose to be in contact with."

"Then why are you here?"

"I… I'm not really sure," Reid said after a moment. "I wanted to see you. I wanted you to know the truth."

Luke gave him another faint smile. "And in order to see me, you had to kidnap me? Was this you're weird way of paying me back?"

Reid snorted, amused. "It's not like I could call or send you a letter, I couldn't think of any other way to get you alone. I was going to have you drive to this truck stop outside of town where my rental car is parked. I figured it was the best place to blend in without being noticed. By the way, you've got to stop hiding your spare key under the car. Every criminal in the world knows to look for those little magnetic key boxes."

"Point taken," Luke agreed. "But why didn't you just say something when I got inside?"

"I figured you'd freak out and I was right," Reid nonchalantly explained, "security would have shown up any minute when you started blasting the horn. So I stuck you."

Luke regarded Reid incredibly. "You honestly couldn't think of _anything_ else?"

Reid shrugged. "Nope."

Luke shook his head. "What did you give me?"

"Melatonin. It's a tranquilizer."

"A _Tranquilizer_?"

"General anaesthetic if it makes you feel better." Reid dryly replied. "What do you think a general anaesthetic is?"

Luke absently rubbed his neck. "So it's not going to hurt me?"

"The general anaesthetic a dentist would give you is stronger." Reid assured. "You should know better than to think, I would hurt you."

Luke regarded Reid quietly for several moments. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I mean it."

"Then don't leave me again."

Reid sighed. "Luke, I can't stay."

"Yes you can," Luke insisted. "You don't start work until Monday, right? It's Thursday. You can stay for a couple of days."

"Did you hear a single word I just said?" Reid spat. "I _can't_ stay. This isn't the witness protection program, there's nothing out there that's going to keep either of us protected. Agent Michaels doesn't even know I'm here, and I could be putting his career in jeopardy if anyone found out what he did for me. "

"And nobody's going to find out." Luke grasped Reid's shoulders. "I have a place where you can stay. I'll take you there tonight. Trust me, Reid, I would never do anything to put you in jeopardy."

Reid hesitated, but shook his head. "No, it's too risky."

"Reid," Luke cupped Reid's face, "you're already here. When will we ever have this opportunity again. _Please_. It's only a couple of days."

Reid briefly closed his eyes, debating with himself. How could he even consider this? This was insane. But when it came to Luke, it was like all his reasoning went out the window. "Are you absolutely sure no one will find out I'm here?"

"I promise," Luke smiled, "Nobody else will ever know."

TBC… 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I don't understand Luke," Lily said as she watched her son pack some cloths into a duffel bag. "Why do you want to stay at the Lakeview?"

"Because I don't want to stay at the house by myself." Luke replied, wishing his Mother would stop questioning him. "Faith and the kids are on that ski trip with Grand Mother and John; and you and Dad are going away to that cabin for the weekend."

"But my Mother wanted you to go with them," Lily reminded. "You said you didn't want to, that you couldn't remember the last time you had a weekend to yourself and that's what you wanted. If you changed your mind, you can always come with me and your Father."

"No thanks," Luke smiled. "You and Dad need some alone time and so do I. Just not here."

"But why the Lakeview?" Lily continued to prod.

"I just want to see how I would like it there." Luke said. "Maybe I'll stay. It's time I moved out, don't you think? No living with a boyfriend or a roommate, just a place that's mine. I've never had that."

Lily watched him for a few moments. She was happy to see Luke smile and actually look forward to something. A smile was so rare since Reid had died. She knew he still grieved Reid's tragic death and wanted to respect the fact that he needed time alone. She just didn't realize he'd been contemplating moving out.

"I'd hate to see you move." Lily said. "You know you can stay here as long as you want. I love having you here. But whatever you do, your Father and I are always here for you."

"I know Mom and I love you," Luke gave her a hug, "right now, this is what I want to do. And I don't want you calling and checking up on me. Just let me have this weekend, okay?"

"Okay Baby," Lily said "But you know if you need anything while you're there—"

"You're part owner of the hotel," Luke said, "they'll give me whatever I want _whenever_ I want. So don't worry. All I want you to think about is being with Dad."

(Later)

Luke unlocked the back door and stepped inside a small kitchen. He left two sacks of food on the counter and carried his duffel bag into the living quarters. "Reid?"

Reid opened the double-doors that led into the bedroom and stepped out. "Bout time you got here. I was starting to wonder."

"Sorry, I had things to do," Luke absently replied as he looked at Reid. Reid was now clean-shaven. "I thought you were suppose to be in disguise?"

Reid rubbed his smooth chin. "It was getting a little scraggily. Though I'd start over. You like it?"

Luke smiled, wondering if Reid had shaved for him. "I like it. You look handsome." Reid gave a casual shrug, but Luke could tell he liked the compliment.

"Looks like you've been busy." Reid studied Luke's hair.

"Oh, I did it after I checked into the Lakeview." Luke ran his fingers through his freshly bleached hair. After he'd checked in, he'd paid an impromptu visit to the salon. He didn't know what possessed him to do it. But the way Reid was looking at him, he was glad he did. "Like it?"

"You look like you did the day we first met." Reid said.

"You mean the day you told me… what was it?" Luke pretended to think. "You hoped I choked on the big fat silver spoon in my mouth?"

Reid chuckled. "That would be the day."

Luke cocked his head to the side. "So what are you saying? You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that. It actually looks hot. Like I said, reminds me of when we met."

Luke tried to will away the blush he could feel coming on. The salon had definitely been worth the trip. "Wait, when we met, you made it very clear you didn't like me, but you thought I looked hot?"

Reid just smiled. "Why were you checking in at the Lakeview?"

"I told my Mom I was going to stay there." Luke answered. "I made her promise not to bother me this weekend, but you know my Mom. She'll check the front desk to make sure I'm there and being taken care of."

"So where exactly am I?" Reid looked around. "You never told me. Last night was like a drive-by, you barley slowed down before shoving me out of the car."

"That's not true." Luke said. "I'm sorry, but you didn't want to draw any attention, right? I didn't want anyone to notice me out here and mention it to my Grand-Mother Lucinda. This is her cottage."

"You brought me to your _Grand-Mother's_ cottage?" Reid asked. "Was that wise?"

"Don't worry, nobody ever comes here." Luke assured. "My car's parked in the garage; nobody will suspect we're here. The last people who lived here were Noah and Ameera and that was a few years ago."

"Oh yes, the wife you told me about." Reid looked inside the bedroom and made a disgusted face. "Please don't tell me I just slept in the same bed they did."

"You didn't." Luke went inside the bedroom and sat his bag on the end of the bed. "My Grand-Mother re-furnished the entire place. Everything is new. Or _was_ new. She wanted to update it and start renting it out, but she never got around to it. She's pretty much forgotten all about this place. I'm surprised the water and electricity are still on."

"I didn't use any of the lights." Reid said. "I used candles."

"Good," Luke unzipped his bag, "I brought more candles. And these." He handed Reid a cell phone. "These phones are pay as you go. Think of them as our alternate phones. Only you and I will have these numbers. I already put my number in yours."

Reid raised his eyebrows. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"Think about it Reid," Luke smiled, "This way we can still stay in touch after you leave."

"I can't be calling you after I leave." Reid said. "Even on our secret little spy phones."

Luke lost his smile. "Who would know but us?"

"Luke," Reid sighed, "me being here doesn't mean I've returned to the world of the living. I shouldn't be here. When I leave I'm not coming back."

Luke quietly returned the cell phone to his bag. "Reid, I don't want to talk about that now. Right now we're together. Lets just focus on that, okay?"

"Okay," Reid resigned for now. The last thing he wanted to see was disappointment on Luke's face so he placed the cell phone in his own small bag.

"You must be hungry." Luke said, changing the subject.

"I'm fucking starving," Reid exclaimed. "Please tell me you brought food."

Luke pulled off his jacket. "Follow me."

Reid followed Luke into the kitchen and was over joyed to see groceries. Luke unloaded bread, deli meats, and all the proper condiments. There were a couple of thick steaks, potatoes, eggs, sausage… everything to get them by for a few days.

Reid stood behind him, examining all the food. "You're amazing."

Luke turned, facing Reid. "You're just now figuring that out?"

"No," Reid stepped close to Luke. "I figured that out a long time ago." He placed his hands on Luke's waist, then his brows came together. "Whoa, you've lost weight."

"No I haven't." Luke quickly stepped away from Reid to get some plates out of the cabinet.

Reid looked Luke over. "Yes you have. You're thin. I mean, you've always been thin, but—"

"I'll take that as a compliment." Luke said. "Go in the other room and sit. I'll make you a sandwich."

Reid did as told and a few minutes later, Luke entered the room with two sandwiches and a bottle of beer that he placed in front of Reid.

"Thank you!" Reid took a gulp of his beer then picked up the sandwich, taking a large bite. "You're not going to be waiting on me hand and foot," Reid said, barely understandable with his mouth full. "I'll make dinner tonight."

"Wow, you've never made me dinner before." Luke mused, while picking at his own sandwich. He tore off a small piece of bread and stuck it in his mouth. "Can you cook?"

"I've paid attention to Katie. I'm sure I can figure it out." Reid was quiet for a moment. "How is she, by the way?"

"She's doing good." Luke answered. "She misses you. I don't think you realize what you meant to her."

Reid faintly smiled. "I miss her too. She was one of the very few people in my entire life I genuinely considered a friend."

"Her and Chris are engaged, now."

"Mrs. Doogie Hughes?" Reid rolled his eyes. "He'd better take damn good care of her and Jacob or I'll haunt his ass."

Luke chuckled. It felt so good to sit across the small table and talk to Reid, like nothing was out of the ordinary. He picked up Reid's beer and absently took a drink.

"Holy!" Reid quickly sat down his sandwich and snatched the bottle out of Luke's hand. "What the hell are you doing?"

"_What_?" Luke looked at Reid, confused, then realized what he'd done. "Oh, I didn't mean to do that. It was an accident. I forgot what you were drinking."

"Right, because this bottle of beer can _accidentally_ be mistaken for anything." Reid stood and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned to the table. "I dumped all the beers."

"What? Why?" I just bought those."

"I'd hate for you to _accidentally_ make the same mistake twice." Reid sarcastically replied. "After all, you wouldn't intentionally jeopardize your heath by drinking, right? But you've been doing it anyway, haven't you?"

Luke lowered his head and scratched below his ear. Something he unconsciously did when he was uncomfortable, and Reid knew it.

"How much have you been drinking?" Reid persisted.

"Look, it's no big deal." Luke said

Reid shook his head. "What the hell is wrong with you? You obviously haven't been taking care of yourself. You've lost weight because you're not eating properly and now you're drinking—"

"It's only been a couple of times, that's all!" Luke suddenly snapped. "I'm not your fucking patient, I didn't bring you here to analyze my health." He stood and stormed away from the table. This wasn't the way the weekend was suppose to start. He went to the window and crossed his arms, moodily staring outside. A dark blue car with black tinted windows was slowly moving down the road. Much slower than warranted. It seemed to be creeping past the cottage. Luke frowned. Maybe the driver was lost.

"I'm sorry." Reid's voice was behind him.

Forgetting the strange car, Luke turned to face Reid. "No, I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You're angry." Reid replied.

"Maybe I am," Luke heavily sighed. "Life is so unfair, you know. And I'm not some naïve kid who's just now realizing that. I've had more than my share of experiences to have learned that lesson a _long_ time ago. But this… this is different. It's like, what did we do to deserve this? Everybody we know gets to have these fucking fairy-tale happy endings and what do we get?"

"I know." Reid quietly agreed.

Luke sadly smiled. "You know, I used to wake up every morning and think to myself 'how the hell am I going to deal with this pompous ass-hole today?' Then one morning I woke up and for some reason I was actually looking forward to seeing you. I'm not sure how it happened, but I kept wanting to see you more and more. It didn't matter what we did, just as long as I was with you. Even after you died, I would wake up and think about being with you, then I would remember…"

Reid brought his hand to Luke's cheek. "Don't think I haven't felt the same about you."

Luke closed his eyes, taking in the feel of Reid's touch. The gruff, rude, pompous ass-hole had the softest touch he had ever known. And the fact that the Doctor would never willingly allow anyone to know how gentle he was, but him…

Luke cupped Reid's face in his hands and kissed him. Reid's arms circled around his waist and Luke melted against him, wanting the heat of Reid's body to over take him. He opened his mouth, wanting Reid to consume him.

Reid held Luke tight, returning Luke's hungry, needy kiss. He moved his hands beneath Luke's shirt, caressing Luke's back and slowly moving the shirt up. Luke didn't stop him. Instead Luke raised his arms, allowing him to pull the shirt off over his head.

Suddenly, Luke pushed Reid back. "Wait!"

"Sorry," Reid took a step back, angry with himself for so quickly loosing his head. "I didn't mean—"

"Shut up, you idiot.'' Luke grabbed Reid's arm and rushed him into the bedroom. Once inside, he slammed Reid against the wall and ripped open the Doctor's shirt, causing buttons to fly in every direction.

Reid looked down at his shirt then back up at Luke, surprised. "Uh, that was my favorite shirt."

"I'll buy you another." Luke promised as he pulled Reid's shirt off. Reid spun them around, pressing Luke to the wall once again, but Luke didn't protest. He more than reciprocated to Reid's forceful kiss. He liked the feel of the Doctor taking charge and being in control. He wanted Reid to do with him whatever Reid wanted.

Reid moved his kiss from Luke's mouth to his neck, and Luke let his head fall back as Reid's lips sucked against his throat and bit on his skin. Reid's mouth was as talented as his hands. Reid's delicate hands slid down his back, sending an electrical current down his spine and straight to his groin. He so badly needed the Doctor. As Reid held him to he wall, he could feel Reid's hardness against his own and knew Reid needed him too.

Reid caressed Luke's lower back, always finding that particular curve in Luke's body incredibly sexy. His hands dipped inside the back of Luke's jeans, feeling and squeezing his soft warm flesh. He pulled Luke away from the wall and steered him to the bed.

Luke lay across the bed and Reid crawled over him, licking a wet trail from Luke's stomach to his pecks. He kissed Luke's nipple then without warning, bit down hard. Luke gasped, but he could tell Luke liked it. Luke arched up wanting more and Reid kissed his way to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment. At the same time, he unfastened Luke's jeans and began to work them down. Luke lifted his hips, allowing him to remove the rest of his cloths.

"Did you bring anything?" Reid asked. "Because I didn't."

"You mean condoms?" Luke shook his head. "But I brought something else. It's in the side pocket of my duffel bag."

Reid reached towards the end of the bed, stuck his hand inside the pocket and pulled out a small bottle of lube. He regarded the lube, contemplating.

"Reid, you know I've never been with anyone other than… I've only been with one other person." Luke said, sensing Reid's hesitation. It surprised him. "Trust me that's been a long time ago."

"It's not that," Reid said. "I'm tested all the time, I know we're okay."

"Than what?"

"I want you to be sure, you're ready," Reid said carefully. "I want this to be only about you and me. I don't want you to _associate_ this with anyone else."

"I don't. Not anymore." Luke cupped Reid's face. "All I want is to be with you."

Reid looked into Luke's dark brown eyes and knew he was telling the truth. Luke still loved him. That was all he needed to know. He kissed Luke, soft and slow, putting as much meaning as he could behind it. He wanted Luke to understand this wasn't just sex, he was going to make love to him.

Luke rolled Reid onto his back and sat up, unfastening Reid's dark jeans. "Have I ever told you how good your ass looks in these jeans." He commented as he slowly slid them off the doctor's legs.

Reid raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah." Luke pulled off Reid's boxer-briefs and raised his own eyebrows. This was definitely one of the Doctor's best kept secrets.

"Think you can handle it?" Reid proudly asked.

"You're so damn arrogant."

"Can you really blame me?"

Luke smiled and straddled Reid's thighs. Picking up the bottle of lube, he poured some into his palm and rubbed his hands together. He then smoothed the liquid onto Reid's cock.

Reid tried to lie still as Luke's hands slowly circled and stroked him. He rubbed his hands along Luke's naked thighs, touching as much of him as he could, and marveling at how beautiful Luke truly was. Something Reid had always known, but had never fully seen until now. And unlike some, Luke's beauty went way beyond physical. He pulled Luke against him, rolling them over, and took the bottle of lube. He poured some of the fluid between Luke's legs and slowly began to rub it on him.

Luke closed his eyes as Reid's talented fingers passed over him. He bit his lip when Reid's fingers carefully worked their way inside. He needed more than just Reid's fingers.

However, Reid took his time preparing Luke. He took his time, watching Luke's face heat and flush with desire. A side of Luke he'd never seen before. Luke's full lips were even more full and swollen from the intensity of their kissing, and Reid kissed them again, always loving the soft feel.

"Reid, come on." Luke breathed against Reid's mouth. He wrapped his legs around Reid and hotly whispered into Reid's ear. "I need you."

Reid needed no more encouragement as Luke impatiently bit and sucked on his ear. He removed his fingers, positioned himself at Luke's entrance and slowly moved inside. Luke's body was so warm and tight, it took nearly all of Reid's self-control not to thrust into him, but he held himself in check when Luke sharply sucked in his breath. "Are you okay?"

Luke nodded, momentarily unable to speak. He wasn't nervous. He wanted Reid so badly, he literally ached for him. But it truly had been a long time and he had to will his body to relax.

"Do you want me to stop?" Reid asked.

"No, God no. Just go slow."

Reid pulled back a little and slowly moved back in. He kissed Luke's lips, face, and neck and whispered things into his ear, but Luke couldn't concentrate on Reid's words. All he could concentrate on was the feel of Reid inside him; the feel of Reid's body moving over his; and the feel of Reid's abs gliding over his cock. Every sensation was incredible. The erotic sound of Reid's husky, desire-filled voice against his ear was almost enough to bring him off. He vaguely became aware that Reid wasn't the only one making noise.

Reid moved inside Luke's body, deeper and faster, stimulated by every hot moan Luke gave him. Luke reached under Reid's arms and clutched the back of his shoulders, almost painfully, yet it was the sweetest pain Reid could possibly feel. He kept up the momentum as long as he could, but could eventually feel himself teetering on the edge. He quickly reached between them, taking Luke's cock in his hand.

Reid's touch was all Luke needed. He thrust into Reid's hand and a wave of pleasure crashed over his entire body with mind-numbing intensity. He could feel nearly every muscle in Reid's body contract as Reid reached his own orgasm. Reid buried his face in Luke's neck, collapsing over him. Luke held Reid close, not wanting him to move. He stroked the Doctor's sweat slicked back, enjoying the feel of Reid's dead weight on top of him.

They lay quietly for several minutes, catching their breath and relishing in the feel of being in each other's arms.

Reid raised is head and smoothed back Luke's damp blonde hair. "Are you okay?"

Luke nodded. "Trust me, I'm okay. God, that was amazing."

Reid propped his head up on his elbow. "I told you, I'm the best."

Luke laughed. "You say the most romantic things. You should write a book."

Reid laughed with him. "I am what I am. But seriously, I wanted this to be special for you."

"It was Reid," Luke said seriously. "I can't even describe how it feels to be with you."

Reid smiled; the feeling was mutual. "Just think, it's only Friday. We have all weekend."

"I hope you're up for it," Luke said, "because we are _just_ getting started."

"If that's the case, I need to re-fuel." Reid held a hand over his stomach. "I am sooo hungry right now."

"Are you serious?"

"I only had _two_ bites of that sandwich." Reid whined. "I'm sorry, but I can't remember the last time I ate."

"Ah, poor baby, " Luke kissed Reid, "I'll get your sandwich." He climbed off the bed and kicked a few cloths aside which had spilled from his bag when it fell off the bed. He then noticed a small gift-wrapped box lying on the floor. "I forgot about this." Luke picked up the box.

"What is it?" Reid scooted up against the headboard.

Luke sat beside him and handed him the box. "I know it's still a few weeks away, but Merry Christmas."

"Seriously?" Reid looked at the box, surprised.

"Open it."

Reid tore off the paper, opened the box and pulled out a black knight chess piece. He looked a Luke, a little confused.

"That's yours," Luke explained. "Your Uncle Angus gave it to me. It's the piece you'd sent to him when you graduated med-school."

"You're kidding?" Reid held up the knight, examining it. "I can't believe he kept this." He looked at Luke. "He gave it to you? When did you met him?"

"I didn't, my Mom and Dad did," Luke answered, "even though you gave me power of attorney, I couldn't make any decisions about your remains, or what I thought was your remains. A family member had to make those decisions. My parents flew to Brooklyn and found your Uncle. He signed legal documents which gave me permission to take care of everything."

Reid shook his head, amazed. "My Uncle and I haven't talked in… I don't know how long."

"From what my parents told me, he cared a lot about you." Luke said. "The news of your death wasn't easy for him to take. Anyway, he asked my parents to give that to me as a reminder of you. But I don't need it anymore, because now I have you."

Reid caressed Luke's cheek. "Thank you. I wish I would have brought you a gift, but I didn't."

Luke covered Reid's hand with his own. "You already gave me your gift, Reid," He brushed his lips over Reid's. "Thank you."

Reid smiled. "If you liked that, wait until you see what I give you next."

Luke returned his smile. "If that's the case, I'd better get your sandwich. Because trust me, you'll need to keep up your energy."

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Reid woke and looked at the clock radio, surprised to see it was almost one in the afternoon. The only time he'd ever slept this late was after pulling an all-nighter at the hospital. He shouldn't have been surprised; him and Luke were up all night and into the early part of the morning. They'd ate a late candlelight steak dinner and talked for hours about everything; their childhoods, their families, their likes and dislikes. He'd learned more about Luciano Eduardo Grimaldi-Snyder in one day than he'd learned during their entire brief relationship. They'd ended it all, making love once more and the sex was damn fucking hot.

Reid rolled onto his side and silently watched Luke, who was laying on his stomach next to him. Luke was sound asleep and Reid knew it'd been a while since Luke had slept properly. Luke had confessed to him how difficult the past few months had been. He over-worked to keep his mind occupied. His weight-loss was due to his loss of appetite. The few nights he'd been home completely by himself were the nights he had drank.

Reid gently stroked Luke's soft blonde hair. He couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing he was the cause of all this. He was now glad he had made the decision to return. Maybe Luke would be able to move on, knowing he was alive and okay.

Luke stirred and opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to wake you." Reid said.

"It's okay," Luke moved closer to Reid, "I love waking up next to you. You want me to make you breakfast?"

"No," Reid continued to stroke Luke's hair, "I want you to go back to sleep. I'm going to take a shower then I'll make _you_ breakfast. Or brunch actually."

"That's cool." Luke drowsily murmured, having already closed his eyes.

Reid climbed out of bed, pulled the covers up around Luke and went into the bathroom. He stepped into the standing shower and turned on the water as hot as he could take it. He turned and let the powerful spray beat on his back for several minutes, easing away the soreness. He felt like he'd been through a major workout, but he wasn't complaining. He closed his eyes, unable to remember another time in his life where he'd felt more content. Everything was perfect. But perfection was only an illusion. Soon he would have to return to his new, alternate world. And the thought of having to leave Luke…

"Want some company?" Luke opened the shower door.

Reid opened his eyes. "You're suppose to be sleeping."

"I've got my whole life to sleep," Luke stepped inside the shower and into Reid's arms. "I'm not going to waste a single minute with you."

Reid held Luke; he didn't want to waste a single second. They let the water wash over their bodies, and lathered themselves and each other.

At one point, Luke made Reid turn so he could wash his back and cringed. "Oh shit. No wonder your back's sore. You've got a few bruises."

"I do?" Reid twisted around, trying to look at himself. "How the hell did that happen?"

"I think it was me." Luke ruefully admitted. "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away."

"If that's the case, don't you dare apologize."

"I'll take care of you," Luke carefully smoothed lather over Reid's back. "I'm your doctor now."

"And what do you plan to do?"

"I prescribe the jacuzzi."

Reid looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Whatever you say, Doctor."

They exited the shower and a few minutes later were in the hot, bubble-filled jacuzzi. Luke sat behind Reid, massaging his shoulders. "Feel better?"

Reid closed his eyes and sighed. "Much."

Luke began to kiss the back of Reid's neck.

"Careful," Reid warned, "this is what led to my injuries."

"I promise, you'll feel no pain." Luke moved around Reid's body, gently pushing Reid to the wall of the jacuzzi then stretched out beside him. He lay his head on Reid's chest and just listened. "I love the sound of your heart, beating in your own chest."

"I kind of like it there too." Reid replied.

"I still can't believe you were going to give it to Chris."

"Yeah, must have been the drugs talking."

"Whatever," Luke smiled, "you knew what you were doing. It was so incredibly selfless."

"Just don't let it get around."

"Too late," Luke said, "everybody knows how heroic you are."

"You mean how heroic I _was,_" Reid corrected, "that part of my life is over. You know that."

"I know," Luke said, "but I'm still going to make sure nobody ever forgets." He raised his head and kissed Reid.

Reid wrapped his arms around Luke's small waist, returning his soft kiss. Beneath the hot water, Luke's hands sensually glided over his chest, massaging him more.

"I know you haven't had breakfast yet, but you're not out of fuel are you?" Luke's hand slip between Reid's legs, squeezing the Doctor's already hard member.

Reid smiled. "I think I'm good."

"I _know_ you're good." Luke sat up and straddled the Doctor. He reached between them, guiding Reid's cock to his entrance.

Reid held Luke's hips, letting Luke lower himself and control the positioning, until Luke was sitting over him. He kissed Luke's collarbone and licked his nipples, giving Luke time to adjust.

Luke let his head fall back, loving the feel of the Doctor's mouth on him. He loved the feel of the Doctor's hands on his body as Reid stroked his back, squeezed his backside and rubbed his leg muscles… Reid couldn't touch him enough. He slowly rode the Doctor, taking in the feel of Reid inside him. This is what he loved the most.

Reid watched as Luke rode him, the younger man's body soaked with water and sweat. His dripping hair hung around his face and Luke tossed his head, trying to get it out of his eyes. He was so fucking beautiful. He took Luke's cock in his hands and slowly stroked him.

Luke closed his eyes, unconsciously moving faster. He was somewhat aware that he was sloshing water all over the floor, but didn't care. All that mattered was Reid and how incredible Reid made him feel. How Reid took him to a higher plain of existence.

Reid stroked Luke, hard and fast, making Luke vocally reach orgasm first, before Luke's muscles clamped around him, milking out his own orgasm. They sank into the water, kissing heatedly as the bubbles and steam rose all around them. Life was perfect.

"Did I hurt you?" Luke asked a minute later.

"No," Reid chuckled, "you're one hell of a physician, Dr. Snyder. I might have to make another appointment."

"For you, I'm available anytime."

Reid looked at the floor and raised his eyebrows. "Good grief, look at the mess you made."

Luke laughed. "I don't care. The floor hasn't been mopped in a while anyway."

"Maybe we should get out of this bathroom before we destroy it." Reid said. "Besides, I'm ready to eat."

Luke rolled his eyes. "When are you _not_ ready to eat? I can't even imagine what our grocery bill would be like if we ever lived together…" He trailed off, realizing what he was saying.

They both sat silent for a few seconds, suddenly remembering they had lives outside of the cottage. And their lives would no longer include each other.

Luke cleared his throat. "Why don't you start brunch. I'll clean up in here." He forced a smile. He wasn't going to think about anything else. They still had one more day and that's all that mattered.

Fifteen minutes later, Luke entered the kitchen to find Reid taking eggs and sausage out of the refrigerator.

"I don't even know why we bothered getting dressed." Luke joked.

Reid looked him over. "I'm glad you did. That shirt you're wearing is my favorite."

Luke looked down at his blue long-sleeve shirt. "You pay attention to my cloths and actually have a favorite? I never knew that."

Reid shrugged. "I've always liked you in that shirt. I remember the first time I saw you in it. It was the day you kicked me out of your house. You're pretty hot when you're trying to be all tough."

Luke thought to himself. "Oh yeah, that was the day Mr. Judd beat you up."

"So glad you remember _that_." Reid dryly replied.

Luke chuckled. "I remember that day, very well. I even had a dream about it."

"What?"

Luke scratched below his ear, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I never told you, but in my dream, you came back. You knocked on my door and when I opened it, you kissed me. I mean _full-on_ kissed me. I was shocked, but still, I kissed you back."

"Really? Then what happened?" Reid asked, interested.

"Nothing, I woke up."

Reid smiled, amused. "So what you're basically saying is, you were so hot for me, you dreamed about me? I'm not surprised."

"Shut up." Luke rolled his eyes, wishing he hadn't said anything. The dream had been unexpected and completely out of the blue. Back then was such a confusing time in his life. Despite how heart-broken he was over Noah, he couldn't deny his attraction to the Doctor. An attraction that over time had grown into something much deeper. It was strange to think, he used to believe there was no one in the world for him except Noah. And all the times him and Noah had broken up, he would always be the one, begging for Noah to come back. Then he met Reid...

Reid took some eggs out of the carton and tried to crack them into a bowl; however half the shells ended up inside. "Uh, I hope you like your eggs crunchy."

"Move over." Luke pushed Reid aside and dumped the crunchy eggs into the garbage disposal. He took some new eggs out of the carton and neatly cracked them into the bowl.

"I said _I_ would make you brunch." Reid said.

"It's cool." Luke began whipping the eggs with a fork. "You can make dinner again. The dinner you make last night was awesome."

"Yes it was." Reid leaned against the counter and quietly watched Luke, imagining this was the life he could have had. Him and Luke together in their own place one day. They would work during the day, saving lives and helping others, then at the end of the day they would come home and just be together. Like Luke had told him yesterday; it didn't matter what they did: relaxed on the sofa, gone out to dinner, caught a movie… just as long as they were together. Hell, he could even endure spending the Holidays with Luke's enormous family or being at other family events if it made Luke happy…

"Is something wrong?" Luke asked, concerned.

"Uh, no." Reid quickly pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He had to stop getting caught up in this unrealistic fantasy. A fantasy that would never go any further than this weekend.

"You sure?" Luke left the bowl of eggs and went to Reid. "You almost looked sad." He brought his hand to Reid's face. It was rare for Reid to visibly express such an emotion.

"I'm not. I'm anything _but_ sad when I'm with you." Reid gave Luke a kiss. "You're the only person who genuinely makes me happy. I know I've never said it or probably even shown it, but it's always been true."

Luke smiled. He never doubted Reid's feelings for him, but it was something Reid didn't openly express. The stoic Doctor was more than happy to let people assume he didn't have feelings.

There was a sudden knock on the door, causing both men to jump, startled.

"I thought you said nobody comes here?" Reid said.

"Nobody does." Luke headed for the living room.

"Wait!" Reid grabbed Luke's arm, halting him. "You don't know who it is."

"It's okay," Luke pulled away, "it's probably someone who knows my Grandmother. Just stay in here." He went into the living room and peered out the window next to the front door. A black man, dressed casually in jeans and a jacket stood, waiting. In the driveway was the same blue car with the black tinted windows, he'd seen yesterday. Cautiously Luke opened the door, keeping the chain attached. "Can I help you?"

"Hello," The man held up a badge, "my name is Agent Anthony Michaels. I'm with the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Luke's brows came together. "Agent _Michaels_?"

"_What_?" Reid came out of the kitchen. "It's okay, he's the one I told you about."

Luke unclasped the chain and opened the door. "Come in."

"Thank you." The Agent walked into the cottage and looked around. "Nice little hideout."

"What are you doing here?" Reid asked, surprised.

"That's my question." Michaels replied.

"I'm taking a little vacation."

"In Oakdale, of _all_ places," Michaels shook his head, "you know you're not suppose to be here, Ryan."

"Don't call me that." Reid said.

"That's your name, no matter where you are." Michaels firmly stated. "Reid Oliver no longer exist. You are Dr. Ryan Strickland."

Luke cleared his throat. "Can I ask why you're here? Have any laws been broken, because I'm the one who made him stay. If anyone is going to get in trouble, it should be me."

Michaels looked from Luke to Reid.

"It's okay, he knows." Reid said.

"Oh that's nice." Agent Michaels snorted. "Do you realize how much trouble you could get me into? If anyone ever finds out what I did, I could go to prison. Everything was done off the record. I've literally committed social security fraud, department of revunue… the list goes on."

"Is that why you're here?" Reid asked, irritated. "You worried I'm going to spill our little secret."

"Obviously you did." Michaels jerked a thumb at Luke.

"It will never go past him." Reid assured. "I literally trust him with my life."

Michaels glanced at Luke. "I hope so, because your life is what I'm worried about. You need to get the hell out of Oakdale, right now."

"Why?"

"You know I've got an informant within the family," Michaels said, "and word is, they're sure you're alive and they're still seeking retribution. Someone is going to make sure it happens. I tried to get in contact with you in St. Louis, but you didn't answer my calls. So I ran a check on your credit card and saw you rented a car. Incase you didn't know, rental cars can be tracked. And I tracked you to Oakdale. Hell, you might as well have left a trail of bread crumbs."

"But he left his rental car at a truck stop outside of town," Luke interjected, "I can see how you'd find him in Oakdale, but how did you know he was here at this cottage?"

"Because I followed you." Michaels explained. "I came to town yesterday morning and went to your place. I was scoping you out. I saw you leave home and I followed you to the hotel. You checked in then about an hour later, you left with your bag and came here. And it's obvious from the outside that nobody's been here in a while, yet you stayed all night. After that I had no doubt, Ryan was with you."

Luke sighed. "I tried to be careful."

"Your little plan actually wasn't that bad," Michaels said. "But here's a tip; you should have left out a back exit and then taken a taxi instead of your own car. If you had, I probably wouldn't have noticed."

"Point taken." Luke muttered.

"Forget all that," Reid said, "are you here to tell me the Thorne family has figured out I'm in St. Louis and they've tracked me to Oakdale?"

"According to my informant, they don't know anything about St. Louis." Michaels said. "They think you've been hiding out in Oakdale this entire time. And here you are, ready and waiting. Can I speak to you privately?"

"Whatever you need to say, you might as well say it in front of Luke." Reid said. "You think I'm not going to tell him later?"

Agent Michaels hesitated, uncomfortable.

"It's okay," Luke said, "I'll be in the other room." He went into the bedroom and closed the doors.

"Exactly how much does he know?" Michaels quietly asked.

"Everything." Reid answered.

"Why?"

"He's not some random guy I met at the truck stop parking lot and decided to shack up with for the weekend." Reid defensively answered. "I wasn't go to let him go on thinking I was dead. He deserved to know the truth."

"Fine," Michaels resigned, "look, I didn't want to scare him, but I was serious when I said you needed to get back to St. Louis and you need to go now. Before you put his life in danger, if it's not already."

Reid frowned. "What else have you heard? Is somebody going after him?"

"I honestly don't know." Michaels answered. "But Luke Snyder is an easy internet search. Not just because of his Foundation, but also because if his involvement with the Reid Oliver wing at Memorial Hospital. It's public knowledge that the two of you were an item. You think the Thornes won't figure that out? You think, they won't try to use him to get to you?"

"Then I need to stay here and make sure he's safe." Reid said.

"No, you need to _leave_ to make sure he's safe." Agent Michael's said firmly. "He needs to get back to his normal routine and not do anything out of the ordinary. Hell, I don't know what his normal routine is, but I found his actions strange enough that I was able to figure things out and find you. I wouldn't have come all this way, if I didn't feel something was up. You can't stay here, Ryan."

"I wasn't going to stay permanently," Reid said. "I planned on leaving tomorrow."

"If you choose to stay another night, there's nothing I can do to stop you," Michaels said, "but if you care _anything_ about his well-being, you'll leave now."

Reid stood silent for several long seconds and finally nodded.

"I'll take you to your car." Michael's said. "I'll give you a few minutes to say good-bye." He walked outside.

Reid looked at the closed bedroom doors. It wasn't suppose to end like this. But he couldn't take any chances when it came to Luke. He opened the doors and stepped inside.

Luke was sitting on the bed and stood when Reid entered. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really." Reid answered. "I have to go back to St. Louis."

"I know you do." Luke placed his hands on Reid's shoulders. "At least we still have tonight."

"No, I have to go now."

"What do you mean _now_?

"I mean, Michaels is waiting for me outside."

Luke's hands slipped from Reid's shoulders. "You mean… just like that?"

Reid nodded. "Michaels feels I'm making you a target and he's right."

"What the hell does he know?" Luke snapped.

"Look how easy it was for him to find us." Reid said.

"Reid, if I honestly thought you were in danger, I would take you to your car right now," Luke said, "but even Michaels doesn't know. Nothing has happened to indicate anyone knows you're here, except Michaels showing up. And that's because he's got this link to you that _I_ don't even have."

"It's not me I'm worried about, Luke," Reid said, "I'm not going to put you at risk."

"I don't care, Reid, don't you get that?" Luke brought a hand to Reid's face. "I would risk anything to be with you. Even if it's just one more night."

Reid lowered his head and swallowed. "I wish… I wish I could give you that, but I can't."

"Then I'm going with you."

"Absolutely not!"

"We don't have to go to St. Louis," Luke tried, "we can disappear and go anywhere in the world. Hell, I can fake my death."

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Reid looked at Luke, astonished. "Do you hear what you're saying?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but think about it, Reid," Luke pleaded, "it would work. I've got plenty of money, we'll be okay."

"You've also got plenty of family." Reid reminded. "Could you really just disappear and let them think you're dead? Could you honestly make Lily and Holden suffer through the lose of a son? They'll never get over that kind of pain."

Lowering his head, Luke closed his eyes. He knew Reid was right; he wouldn't be able to do it. "God, I wish you'd never come back." He choked.

"I'm sorry," Reid said quietly, "I didn't think it would be like this. I didn't want to cause you anymore pain."

Luke slowly shook his head. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I forced you to stay when you didn't want to. Seems to be a pattern."

Reid placed his fingers under Luke's chin, raising his head. "You didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do. I _wanted_ to be with you. More than anything."

"Me too." Luke drew in a shuddering breath. "So I guess this is it."

Reid cleared his throat, finding it difficult to speak. "I guess so."

Luke nodded then turned away. He pulled his bag from under the bed, sat it on top and began to needlessly sort through the contents. He didn't know what else to do. He couldn't watch as Reid picked up his own small bag and slung it over his shoulder. He couldn't watch Reid leave him. Reid approached him from behind and reached around him, slipping something into his bag. Luke couldn't see what it was, his vision blurry with tears.

Reid turned Luke around and cupped his face in his hands. "I love you." The Doctor whispered.

Luke held Reid's wrists and closed his eyes, tears slipping out before he could stop them. "I love you."

Reid brushed the tears away with his thumbs and kissed him. Luke leaned his forehead against Reid's, still holding onto him. But he knew he had to let go and he finally did. Reid moved away and a few seconds later, he heard the front door of the cottage open then close. Luke sat on the bed, listening as the FBI agent's car started then drove away. Reid was gone.

(Later)

Luke opened the door and stepped inside his home. The house was as dark and empty as his entire being felt. He was grateful to be alone. It would have been impossible to smile and fake that everything was okay when nothing was.

He sat his bag on the sofa then remembered, Reid had slipped something inside. He searched the contents and discovered the black Knight chess piece.

Luke held the Knight, staring at it for a while. He didn't need another reminder that Reid was gone. He wanted to throw it away, but couldn't. Instead he took it to the dark Christmas tree and sat it on a branch. For some masochistic reason, he'd keep it forever.

He took the remaining groceries into the kitchen and began to put them away. Inside the refrigerator, he saw a bottle of bourbon his Mom usually kept around for social occasions.

He took the bottle, grabbed a small glass out of the dish drainer and poured the strong liquor inside. He brought the glass to his lips and hesitated. He'd promised Reid, he'd take better care of himself. Then again, Reid had promised him the weekend.

Luke drank the glass and poured himself another. For the moment, he couldn't think of a better way to take care of himself. "Cheers." Luke muttered, before drinking the second glass. The cold expensive bourbon went down smooth and easy. Setting the glass aside, he drank straight from the bottle.

A few minutes later, he was interrupted when someone started knocking on the door. Irritated, Luke took one last drink then quickly returned the bottle to the refrigerator. He stepped out of the kitchen and saw two men in suits, standing at the door. Luke went to the door and opened it. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Luke Snyder?" One of the men asked.

"Who wants to know?" Luke didn't care if he sounded rude. Right now, he wasn't in the mood to deal with anybody.

"We're with the FBI." One of the men answered. "We came here to talk to you about Reid Oliver."

"Can I see some ID?"

"Sure." Both men pulled badges out of their jacket and held them up. "I'm Agent Carter and this is Agent Grant."

"What do you want?" Luke asked. "I'm sure you know he's deceased."

"It's okay, you don't have to pretend with us." Carter said. "Agent Michaels sent us."

Luke frowned. He thought Michaels had worked alone, but maybe he'd misunderstood.

"He wanted us to speak to you about Dr. Oliver." Carter continued. "Just to check up on things."

Luke realized Carter was calling Reid, Dr. Oliver. Something Agent Michaels had been adamant against doing. Something wasn't right. "Look, this really isn't a good time. I don't know what you guys are talking about anyway."

"We need to get in contact with Dr. Oliver, ASAP." Carter said. "We know he's alive, we just need to know where he is. You can trust us."

Luke gave them a cynical smile. "Then you won't mind if I see your badges again and call your bureau for confirmation."

"No we don't mind." Carter replied. "As a matter of fact, I've got your confirmation right here." He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a gun, pointing it at Luke.

"Here's my confirmation." Grant snickered, pulling out his own gun.

"Wow, this day keeps getting better and better." Luke muttered. "What the fuck do you want?"

Carter and Grant exchanged glances. This certainly wasn't the response they'd expected.

"We told you what we want." Carter shoved Luke back and stepped inside the house.

Grant followed, closing and locking the door behind him. "Don't worry about tripping the alarm. We've already cut it for you."

Carter held up his gun. "Now we're going to ask you again and you're going to answer us nicely. Where is Reid Oliver?"

"Try the huge pond about 5 minutes from here," Luke said. "Or the Reid Oliver wing at Memorial hospital, because that's where his ashes are. He's dead."

"We know that's not true." Grant said.

"Do you fucking see him anywhere?" Luke snapped.

Carter backhanded Luke so hard, he spun around and fell to his knees. Carter was on him in an instant, grabbing a handful of Luke's hair and jerking his head up. He pressed his gun to Luke's skull. "I'd watch my tone if I were you. Otherwise you're going to get a bullet in the brain and your boyfriend won't be around to dig it out. You got me?"

Luke nodded, knowing if he said anything else, he _would_ get shot. He knew he should be scared, but for some reason, he was furious.

Satisfied, Carter shoved him forward, sending him sprawling on the floor. "Search the house," Carter ordered his partner, "I'll deal with his little smart ass."

Grant left through the interior green door that led upstairs into the bedrooms.

Luke pushed himself to his knees, his head spinning. He crawled over to the sofa and pulled himself up to sit on the arm.

Carter curiously watched him. "What's the matter with you, kid?" He grabbed Luke's chin, forcing Luke's head up then snorted. "Hell, you're drunk, ain't you? I can smell the booze."

Luke jerked his head away without saying anything. Carter just chuckled. "This should be interesting."

Grant returned to the living room. "There's no one else here."

"Where are your folks?" Carter asked. "Because I know this is their house."

"Out of town." Luke brought his hand to his mouth. When he pulled it back, there was blood on his fingers.

Carter grabbed a chair from the table and sat it in the center of the room. "Lock this kid up."

Grant grabbed Luke's arm and jerked him to the chair, forcing him to sit. He then pulled some handcuffs out of his pocket and locked Luke's wrists behind his back. "All you need to do is tell us what we want to know." Grant sneered. "Hate to mangle that pretty face of yours."

"Fuck you," Luke spat, without thinking. This time, Grant back-handed him, making sparks explode behind his eyes.

"Easy." Carter pulled Grant away. "He's not going to tell us anything if he's unconscious. Besides look at him, he's drunk. This shouldn't be too hard." Carter knelt beside Luke. "Unless you make it hard, kid. This can turn really unpleasant and I don't think you'd want that."

Luke felt his blood run cold, his anger slowly dissolving into fear. "I don't know what makes you think Reid is alive. I have his death certificate. I can show it to you."

"How do I know it's not fake?"

"If he were alive, don't you think he'd be here with me?" Luke tried.

"Not if he were hiding out." Carter stood and pulled off his coat, a slow sinister smile spreading across his face. "But that's okay, we'll do it your way. Let see just how far you're willing to go to protect him."

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Reid and Agent Micheals rode in silence until they arrived at the truck stop.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry things are like this," Michaels said as he turned into the parking lot. "I won't pretend to understand what it's like to start a whole new life. I wish I could have come up with a better way to help you after the accident. But everything happened so fast and the opportunity was right there... I didn't know what else to do."

"I'm alive because of what you did." Reid impassively replied. "Don't apologise. Besides, starting a new life isn't that bad. At least I'm still a doctor. That's all my life ever was until I…" He trailed off.

Michaels glanced at Reid. "Until you met him?"

"That's my rental." Reid pointed to car, changing the subject.

Michaels pulled into the parking space next it. "Is there anything I can do?"

"You've done enough," Reid grumbled. He sighed, realizing how he sounded. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I do appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Just returning the favor," Michaels said. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive to watch my baby girl grow up."

"I'm glad you are." Reid replied. And he meant it. But he also remembered what Luke had said the other day, about everyone else getting a fairytale happy ending except them. _Life really is a fucking bitch,_ he bitterly thought.

"Things will get better," Michaels assured. "Just give it time."

"Sure." Reid climbed out of the car.

Michaels leaned over the passenger seat. "I'll check in with my informant and call you in a few days, okay?"

Reid nodded. "Thank you. Have a safe trip home."

"You do the same."

Reid closed the door and watched as the Agent pulled out of the space and drove off. That was that. It was over. He climbed inside his car and tossed his bag onto the passenger seat. A cell phone fell out when he did. Reid picked up the phone, a little surprised. He'd forgotten all about it. Luke had wanted this to be their alternate way of keeping in touch. Initially Reid had considered it a bad idea, but maybe he should give it a chance. There were still things he wanted to tell Luke. But after his abrupt departure, he was probably the last person Luke wanted to speak with. And Reid couldn't blame him. Sitting the phone aside, he started the car.

(Lily Pad)

Luke sat quietly in the dinning-room chair, trying not to draw attention to himself, but it was becoming harder to keep still. His arms, wrapped around the chair, ached with discomfort. He flexed his hands inside the cuffs, trying to keep his blood circulating. The cuffs were locked tight, the metal occasionally pinching his skin.

For the moment, his two captures were ignoring him. He could hear Grant in the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets and in the refrigerator. Carter was in the livingroom, stabbing at the burning logs in the fireplace with a poker. The men had closed all the drapes and blinds, started a fire and basically made themselves at home. They seemed at ease with the knowledge that nobody would be coming around anytime soon.

Luke kept his head low, observing Carter through his long bangs that hung in his face. The man was average height and built, probably in his thirties. He seemed to be the leader of the two. His partner, Grant, was much stockier. He seemed to be the muscle.

The muffled sound of a phone ringing broke the silence in the living-room. Carter placed the end of the poker inside the fireplace and looked at Luke. "Is that your phone?"

Luke shook his head; he wasn't sure where his cell phone was. He must have left it in the car.

Carter pointed to the bag on the sofa. "Sounds like it's coming from your bag."

Luke blinked. He'd completely forgotten about the alternate cell phone. "I…I guess it is mine. I forgot it was in there."

Carter unzipped the bag and dug through it until he found the cell phone. "Blocked number." He looked at Luke, "Now who could that be?"

"Maybe a wrong number." Luke said.

"Then you won't mind if I answer it." Carter started to open the phone.

"Wait!" Luke quickly sat up. "It's could be my Mom. Her number's blocked."

"You don't say." Carter regarded Luke, dubiously, but didn't open the phone. It finally stopped ringing. "Why would her number be blocked?"

Luke quickly thought to himself. "She's one of the wealthiest people in Oakdale. She doesn't want her number listed. And I'm always loosing my cell phone… anyone could come across it..."

The phone began to ring again.

"I should answer it," Luke hoped he didn't sound as nervous as he felt, "if I don't, she'll get worried and call my uncle. She'll have him come by and check on me. He's a detective."

"I know who Detective Jack Snyder is, I've done my homework." Carter brought the phone to Luke. "Keep it brief and don't try anything funny. I'll be listening to every word you say." He flipped open the phone and held it next to Luke's ear.

Luke cleared his throat. "Hello."

"Hey," Reid's voice came through the cell phone. "If you want to hang up on me, I completely understand."

"How's your trip?" Luke asked.

"I'm just now leaving."

"Good, I'm glad."

Reid sighed. "I know you're still upset—"

"No, everything's fine," Luke glanced at Carter. "As a matter of fact, you should take some extra time. There's no reason for you to hurry back."

"What?"

"Seriously," Luke said, "I'll take care of everything."

Reid frowned. "What are you talking about? Luke… you know I'm not coming back."

Carter nudged Luke. "End it!" He hissed.

"Look, I'm really tired," Luke rushed. "I'm going to bed so you don't have to call and check up on me, okay?"

"Luke wait—"

"Take care."

Carter shut the phone before Luke could say anything else. "She shouldn't call anymore tonight." Luke tried to assure him. "And she won't be coming back anytime soon."

"Good boy." Carter tossed the phone on the table and returned to the fireplace.

Luke sighed with relief. Somehow, he'd managed to con the con-man. He wasn't sure about Reid, though. All he could do was hope Reid didn't try to call again.

(Truck Stop)

Reid frowned at the cell phone in his hand. He'd expected Luke to be upset and maybe hang up on him, but the conversation was odd. Even the tone of Luke's voice was odd. Reid held his finger over the redial button, but changed his mind and placed the phone in his bag. Maybe the best thing he needed to do was give Luke time. He'd wait a couple of days and see if Luke would call him.

(Lily Pad)

"So you're suppose to be taking care of things while Mommy's away?" Carter asked Luke.

Luke nodded.

"Then where were you?" Carter casually poked the logs in the fireplace. "you've been gone since yesterday morning."

Luke's brows came together. "Were you following me?"

"_I'm_the one asking the questions, blondie." Carter warned.

"I was at the Lakeview." Luke answered. "Call them, they'll confirm I checked in."

Carter looked around the room. "Now why would you stay at a hotel when you've got a perfectly nice house here?"

Luke shrugged. "Sometimes, I need to get away."

"I see," Carter nodded. "And was Dr. Oliver with you on this little get-away?"

"No." Luke shook his head. "If Reid really were alive and hiding out, the Lakeview is the last place he'd go. Too many people in town knew him and could run into him."

Carter seemed to consider Luke's statement, but still didn't looked fully convinced.

Luke leaned forward in his chair. "I think I'm going to throw up."

Carter sighed, annoyed. "Grant, what the hell are you doing in there?" He yelled toward the kitchen. "Get your ass out here."

"What?" Grant came out of the kitchen, holding the bottle of bourbon. "I made myself something to eat." He held up the bottle. "These people buy the good shit."

"Get this kid something to drink." Carter ordered.

"Fine." Grant went over to Luke and held the bottle up to his mouth.

"Not alcohol, you moron!" Carter groaned, exasperated. "We're trying to sober him up! Make some coffee, it's going to be a long night." He looked at Luke. "Because we're not leaving until we get what we want." He stuck the poker between two burning logs then went to the interior green door that led upstairs.

"Where are you going?" Grant asked.

"I'm going to check the place out." Carter answered. "I'm sure his rich bitch of a mother has some nice jewelry laying around. Keep an eye on him."

"Yes Sir," Grant grumbled. When Carter closed the door, he gave him a mock salute.

"Can I have some water?" Luke asked.

"You can have anything you want," Grant replied. "As soon as you give us what _we_ want."

"I have nothing to give," Luke insisted. "I spread Reid's ashes myself."

Grant crossed his arms, regarding Luke for a moment. Luke shifted, even more uncomfortable under the man's scrutiny.

"Get up." Grant ordered.

"What?"

"I said get up."

Luke tried to stand, but it was awkward with his arms wrapped behind the chair. Grant grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet then moved him away from the chair.

Luke stood where Grant placed him and waited for his next order, but Grant didn't give one. Instead the large man took a drink from the bottle of bourbon and stepped back, his eyes slowly roaming over Luke's body. He nodded his head in appreciation.

Luke lowered his eyes, feeling his face heat up with degradation by the man's unabashed stare. Disgusted at the way the man licked his wet lips.

Grant walked in a circle around Luke and Luke tensed, feeling the tips of Grant's insect-like fingers creep across his back. It made his skin crawl.

Grant smiled, enjoying Luke's visible discomfort. "So you and this doctor… how long were you together?"

"Not long enough." Luke quietly answered.

Grant stood in front of Luke. "Did you care about him?"

Luke nodded.

"How did you prove it?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Grant stepped closer to Luke. "A guy like you… I'm sure you had interesting _ways_ of showing him how much you cared. What did you do for him?" He raised his hand, running a finger under Luke's chin.

Luke recoiled at his loathsome touch and Grant grabbed a handful of Luke's hair, keeping him still.

Cater opened the door. "What the hell is going on?"

Without warning, Grant punched Luke in the stomach, and Luke fell to his knees, gasping.

"He was trying to make a break for it." Grant quickly answered. "I stopped him."

"You don't say," Carter walked over to Luke and stood above him. "You weren't going to leave us were you?"

Crouched on the floor, Luke could only shake his head.

"He's lying!" Grant kicked Luke hard in the ribs.

Unable to catch himself, Luke flipped against the hard rock wall, his head bouncing off one of the rocks. Pain burst inside his skull, like millions of stars exploding then fading to black. He lay his forehead on the floor. Every breath he managed to take was agony against his ribs. He thought he heard one of the men saying something to him, but he wasn't sure. It was almost impossible to hear past the loud buzzing in his ears. But eventually the buzzing began to fade. Suddenly, he could hear music…

Raising his head, Luke opened his eyes and blinked several times. His vision was oddly hazy. The music he heard came from a portable radio sitting on the small table. It was tuned to the classic rock channel and _Angel Eye's_by the Jeff Healy Band was playing. He'd always liked that song.

Reid sat across the table from him. "Are you old enough to remember this song?" he joked.

Luke cocked his head to the side, but smiled. "I'm not _that_ young."

Smiling, Reid pushed his empty plate aside and stood. He went over to Luke and held out his hands. "Then come on."

"Huh?" Luke looked at Reid's hands.

Reid rolled his eyes. "Just come on."

Luke regarded Reid suspiciously but took the Doctor's hands, allowing Reid to pull him to his feet. "What are you doing?"

Reid guided Luke's hands to his shoulders then wrapped his arms around Luke's small waist. "It's called dancing."

"_Dancing_?"

"Yeah, ever heard of it?"

Luke just stood, surprised.

Reid chuckled. "I may not be an expert on this, but I think it helps if you were to actually move with me."

"Right." Luke smiled and laced his fingers around Reid's neck, letting Reid lead him to the soft rock melody. Dancing was something they'd never done and he honestly never imagined them doing. Nobody would ever believe Reid could be romantic. He knew people always wondered what he ever saw in the Doctor, but they would just have to keep wondering. Only _he_ was privileged enough to see past Reid's cold, cynical exterior. "You never cease to amaze me, Dr. Oliver."

"Sometimes, Mr. Snyder, I amaze myself." Reid replied.

Luke continued to smile, knowing he must look like a giddy idiot, but couldn't help it. He was so crazy in love with this man, it was like Reid had injected him with some kind of drug. He pressed closer to Reid and brushed his lips over the Doctor's. Reid kissed him, soft and slow, his lips and his moves matching the rhythm of the music. Whatever drug Luke was on, he never wanted to come down from his high…

Suddenly, cold water splashed in his face like a stinging slap. Luke gasped and opened his eyes. He looked around, disoriented, then reality began to return. He was no longer at the cottage with Reid. Last night was only a memory.

"Welcome back." Carter stood over him, holding an almost empty water bottle. He poured the rest of the water over Luke's head then tossed it aside.

Luke tossed his head, trying to get his dripping hair out of his face. Things still felt cloudy. He realized he was sitting in the dinning room chair again, only this time his arms were tied to the chair's arms. However his left arm was tied with his palm facing up.

"Sorry about that," Carter apologized, like nothing was out of the ordinary. "I told him to sober you up, but instead he knocks your ass out. What can I say? He's a moron."

"I told you, it was an accident." Grant took another drink from the bottle of bourbon. "I didn't mean to knock him out."

Carter snatched the bottle out of Grant's hand and slammed it on the table. "I'm beginning to think, bringing you here was an accident."

"Hey, we're partners," Grant held out his hands. "I mean, what was I suppose to do? He was trying to escape."

"His hands were cuffed behind his back." Carter sternly reminded. "How far do you think he would have got?"

Luke shook is head, trying to gain back the rest of his bearings. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his face; the thick coppery scent making him nauseous. The men continued to argue, but his head throbbed too much to concentrate on what they were saying. It didn't really matter what they said; the end result would be the same. "If you're going to kill me, what the fuck are you waiting for?"

Both men stopped arguing and looked at him.

"Don't worry, blondie, we're done waiting," Carter stood next to Luke's chair and pulled a narrow metal object out of his back pocket. He opened it up to reveal a shiny long razor blade, similar to what a barber would use to shave someones face.

Carter pressed the razor to Luke's left arm, just below the crook of his elbow. Then with one quick motion, he swiped the razor across his skin. Luke cried out, shocked, the blade smoothly slicing through his flesh and penetrating his numb senses. Blood instantly began to run out of the long cut.

"The truth is, we don't really need you." Carter returned the bloody razor to Luke's arm, an inch below the previous cut. "You would have made it a hell of a lot easier for us _and_for yourself, but that's okay. We're still going to find him."

Luke tried to pull his arm back, but the rope held him in place. He forced himself to keep still when Carter put pressure on the razor. "You won't get away with killing me. You don't know my family. They will find you."

"Oh I doubt that," Carter smiled, "See, we're not going to kill you. _You're_ going to kill yourself. When your family comes home, they'll discover you in bed with your wrist slashed open. There won't be any evidence to indicate we were ever here."

"No!" Luke looked at Carter in horror. "Nobody will believe I killed myself."

"You sure about that?" Carter applied more pressure to the razor and Luke winced as it bit into his skin. Blood began to seep from the new cut.

"It's the holidays," Carter calmly explained, "people are always committing suicide this time of year. Especially people who've been drinking and are all alone, mourning the tragic death of someone they loved. Hell, I'd kill myself if I were you." He pressed down on the razor and deliberately drew it across Luke's arm, fully opening the cut.

Luke clenched his teeth against the pain. Both cuts were a couple inches long and he couldn't tell how deep. The skin below his elbow was fleshier than the rest of his arm and the cuts bleed copiously, blood dripping into a puddle on the floor.

This time Carter brought the razor to Luke's wrist, pressing it directly over his artery. Luke swallowed hard, able to feel his quickened pulse beat against the unforgiving razor.

"Since I'm such a nice guy, I'm going to give you one last chance." Carter said in a friendly tone. "I _know_ you know where he is."

Luke opened his mouth to deny it, but hesitated. What if his family really did believe he committed suicide? After all, he was drinking and he knew drinking could literally kill him, yet he made the decision to do it anyway. But it wasn't because he actually wanted to die. Drinking had always been a temporary coping mechanism for whatever horrible thing was happening in his life. But he wasn't sure if anyone ever understood that. They considered his drinking self-destructive, and deep down Luke knew it was probably true. His parents knew how devastating Reid's death had been—if they were to find his body, wrist slashed, and alcohol in his system…

Carter warningly applied pressure to the razor.

"Wait!"

Carter stopped. "Yes?"

Luke turned his head away, sickened with himself for actually wanting another drink. He hated himself for being so weak, but he couldn't handle the thought of his parents believing he'd committed suicide. But it was going to happen no matter what he said. They were going to kill him, there was nothing he could do to save himself. In the end, all he could do was try to save Reid. Drawing himself up, Luke looked Carter in his eyes. "Reid is dead. So you both can go fuck yourselves."

Carter raised his eyebrows.

Luke closed his eyes, waiting for the final slice of the razor blade that would penetrate his artery. He prayed his parents would somehow learn the truth. He prayed Reid would never learn the truth or he would always blame himself. Last, he prayed death would come quick. But the cut never came. He opened his eyes.

Carter closed the blade, thoughtfully regarding Luke. "Maybe I underestimated you. I thought for sure you'd crack."

Luke blinked, confused. "I don't… I don't understand."

"Hell, I was just fucking ya, blondie." Carter chuckled. "No hard feelings?"

Luke stared at Carter in disbeleif. Never in his life had he felt such hatred for another human being. He clinched his fists, wanting to bloodily tear the sick twisted smile from the sadistic man's face.

"I can see you're a little upset," Carter nonchalantly shrugged, "but hey, for what it's worth, you're tougher then I gave you credit for. Take that as a compliment."

"Like I said, go fuck yourself." Luke snapped, his voice shaking with fury.

Carter simply threw back his head and laughed. "You've got quite the little attitude too. Maybe this night won't be as boring as I thought." He looked at Grant who was sitting on the back of the sofa, spectating. "Get me that poker out of the fireplace."

Grant smiled and stood, doing as instructed.

"This is all just a game to you, isn't it?" Luke yelled.

"Call it whatever you want," Grant calmly replied, "but you can't say I didn't warn you. _You're_ the one who had to be stubborn."

Grant came over and handed Carter the poker. "It looks ready."

Carter turned the poker in his hand, examining it. "I godda tell ya, blondie, this is where things start to get unpleasent."

Luke caught his breath in his throat. He could see a faint orange glow at the end of the iron rod. His fury and resolve started to crumble. "I don't know what else I can tell you." He tried to put strength behind his wavering words. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Because, I don't believe it's a coincidence that Agent Michaels is in town." Carter said.

"That FBI guy is connected to Dr. Oliver. He's helping him hide out. There's no other reason he'd be here."

Luke's mouth dropped. "I… I don't know what you're talking about." But even to his own ears, he no longer sounded convincing. Until now, he didn't realize how much Carter actually knew.

"To be honest we didn't even know Agent Michaels was going to be here." Carter admitted. "Grant and I have been watching your place for days. Then out of the blue, he shows up and he's watching you too. When you left yesterday, he also left, following you. We obviously couldn't follow and risk him seeing us so we waited patiently for you to return. And here you are a day later. So are still going to tell me Dr. Oliver is dead? That this Agent didn't set up some little meeting for the two of you?"

"If this Agent was watching me, what makes you think he's not watching me now?" Luke carefully replied.

Carter's demented smile slipped for a second.

"Wait a minute?" Grant looked at Carter. "What if that FBI guy _is_ watching the place? We don't know where he is?"

"He would have been here by now, don't you think?" Carter snapped at him. "Just sit down and shut up!" He looked at Luke, no longer smiling. "Now I suggest you start telling me the truth." He brought the poker up to Luke's neck, holding it only a few inches away.

Luke shrank away as far as he could, his heart pounding wildly. He could feel the heat radiate from the glowing poker. The searing hot iron would instantly melt through his skin and muscle.

At the front door, something small and pebble-like bounced off one of the windows.

"Did you hear that?" Grant looked nervously at the door.

Carter also looked at the door. "Go check it out."

Reluctantly, Grant pulled a gun from the back of his pants and went to the door. He parted the blinds with his fingers and peered through for several seconds, then cautiously opened the door and stepped outside.

"What was that noise?" Carter asked Luke.

"I don't know." Luke whispered, fearfully. He really didn't believe Agent Michaels was still in town. He prayed if anyone was out there, it wasn't his Grandma Emma, coming by to check on him.

Carter looked at the open door, but couldn't see his partner. "Grant, you see anything?" There was no answer.

Carter listened for a few seconds then quickly took the poker back to the fireplace and pulled out his own gun. He untied Luke's right wrist then pointed the gun at him. "Untie your arm and get up!"

It took Luke a moment to free himself, his hand shaking. Once he untied the rope, Carter yanked him out of the chair and pulled Luke to his chest, tightly wrapping an arm around his neck. Luke held Carter's arm, almost choking, but Carter wouldn't loosen his hold. He held his gun to Luke's temple and slowly walked him to the door.

"Grant?" Carter yelled. "Answer me dammit! Do you hear me?"

"I hear you."

Luke froze, trying not to react. He recognized the voice. Carter ground the barrel of his gun into Luke's temple, recognizing that the voice didn't belong to Grant.

Reid stepped inside the door. He held Grant's gun and pointed it at Carter. "Get the fuck away from him, now!"

Grant chuckled, but Luke could feel the arm around his neck, tense. "It looks like we have ourselves a good old-fashion stand-off. But I suggest you lower _your_gun, because I'm going to shoot him either way. Even if you pull your trigger first, I'll still reflexively pull mine and his brains will be splattered all over the wall. You're a doctor, you know how reflexes work. I wouldn't be able to help myself."

Reid hesitated.

"Shoot him!" Luke struggled to speak against Carter's choke hold. "Shoot him!"

"Yeah," Carter mocked. "Shoot me and see what happens."

Reid looked from Carter to Luke. The reflex thing might or might not happen, but he wasn't going to play Russian roulette with Luke's life. He lowered the gun.

"Smart man." Carter said. "Then again you _are_ a brain surgeon."

Grant stumbled over to the door and snatched the gun from Reid's hand.

"What the hell happened to you?" Carter angrily asked.

"He hit me over the head with a flower pot or something." Grant answered. "He came out of nowhere."

"_Please_." Reid looked at Grant, his voice full of disdain. "You were like Elmer Fudd out there. Anybody could have jumped your stupid ass."

Grant quickly brought the gun up and pointed it at Reid, his finger on the trigger.

"Not yet!" Carter halted him. "Just get your ass in here and close the door."

Grant slammed the door shut and locked it. He went to stand next to Carter, still aiming his gun at Reid. Reid glared at him, showing no intimidation.

"Welcome to the party Dr. Oliver." Carter greeted. "I'll admit, you showing up was the last thing I expected. But I'm so glad you could join us." He released Luke and shoved him forward.

Reid caught Luke as he stumbled to his knees. Ignoring both men, Reid carefully took Luke's arm and examined it. He swore under his breath, but was relived to see the blood had coagulated. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any artery or tendon damage. "Flex your hand. Does it hurt internally?"

Luke did as instructed. "No, it's just sore."

Reid detected a faint scent of alcohol. "Oh my God! Have you been _drinking_?"

Luke lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

Reid ran his hand over Luke's damp hair, but didn't say anything else. What could he possibly say? He was the cause of all this. He grabbed a cloth napkin from the nearby table and wrapped it around Luke's arm in a make-shift bandage.

After he was done, he placed his hand under Luke's chin and raised his head. Luke's lip was busted and one of his eyes was going to be black in the morning. He gently brushed Luke's long bangs out of his face. Blood stuck to the side of his face from a nasty cut close to his hair line. Reid grabbed another napkin from the table and dipped it in a vase of flowers, wetting it, then used it to wipe away the blood.

For the first time, Luke winced at Reid's touch. Until now, he didn't notice how badly his face hurt.

"I'm sorry," Reid whispered, lightening his ministrations. "I'm sorry for everything."

"This isn't your fault, Reid," Luke said quietly.

Carter snorted amused. "Aww, you guys are breaking my heart. You're done with your examination, Doctor."

Reid stood, facing both Carter and Grant. "You have me, now let him go. There's nothing he can do to you. Hell, he's drunk. He won't even remember what happened when he wakes up in the morning."

"Maybe, maybe not," Carter said, "but we can't take that chance now can we? Besides, what I've got planned for you involves him."

"How the hell does _any_ of this involve him?" Reid shouted.

Carter just smiled his sick twisted smile. "You'll find out soon enough Doctor."

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to see you again, Dr. Oliver." Carter told Reid.

Reid narrowed his eyes at Carter. The doctor sat, handcuffed to the same chair Luke had been cuffed to earlier. "Mind telling me where we met?"

Carter snorted. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me. People really don't mean anything to you, do they? We're all just numbers, right?"

Reid looked at Luke, who had been left on the floor. Luke sat against the rock wall, a knee drawn up to his chest. He held his bandaged arm close to himself and dully stared at nothing. He seemed unaware that any conversation was going on. Reid had to get him out of here, but had no idea how. He'd never felt more out of control and helpless in his life. "Whatever you want, I will give you. Just let him go."

"How very generous," Carter said, "but there's nothing you have that I want."

"Then what are we doing just sitting here?" Reid demanded an answer. "Is it prayer group time? Or did you not think far enough ahead to figure out what to do once you had me?"

"Be patient, Dr. Oliver." Carter calmly returned, "All in due time."

Grant nudged Carter. "What _are_ we doing?" He whispered to his partner, confused. "Why don't we just waste them both and get out of here? I'm ready to get paid."

"Like I said, be patient." Carter told him. "You'll get your money."

"You want money?" Luke raised his head, speaking for the first time in a while. "I'm sure you know, I have money. Lots of it. Whatever the Thorne family is paying you, I will double it."

Carter looked Luke. "The Throne family, huh? You've been holding out on me, blondie. You know a lot more than you let on."

"Just name your price," Luke continued. "You can walk out of here wealthy and disappear."

"And how are you suppose to get this money?" Carter asked. "You expect us to wait until the banks open on Monday?"

"There's money in a safe upstairs."

Grant stepped forward "How much money?"

"Almost twenty thousand." Luke answered. "I'll give it to you now. Think of it as a deposit."

"He'll give it to you on one condition," Reid quickly added, "you let him leave. You can keep me."

"Reid, No!" Luke said.

"Keep quiet." Reid hissed at him.

Carter just chucked. "Your money doesn't mean shit to me."

"Hold on." Grant took Carter's arm and pulled him to the other side of the living room. "What are you _saying_. That's _twenty_ grand!"

"This isn't about the money." Carter said.

"Maybe not for you, but that's the only reason I signed up for this." Grant said. "After the night I've been through, I think I deserve a little bonus."

"You know we can't let this kid walk out of here." Carter firmly reminded. "No witnesses."

"I'm not a moron, I don't intend to let him walk out of here." Grant assured. "I'll just let him think that so he'll give me the money."

Carter thought to himself. "On second thought, that's perfect."

Reid watched the two hitmen conversed. Whatever they were saying, he knew it wasn't good. "Luke, they're not going to let me go," he said quietly, "but there's a chance you could get out of here. Use the money to bargain with them."

"I'm not going to leave you behind," Luke said firmly, "I'm going to do everything I can to get us _both_ out of here. And if I fail… at least I died trying."

"Dammit Luke, you're not thinking straight!"

"Yes I am." Luke looked at Reid, steadily holding the Doctor's eyes. Reid suddenly realized Luke wasn't as drunk as he thought.

Grant returned, took another swig from the bottle of bourbon then set it aside. "Take me to this safe of yours."

Luke slowly climbed to his feet, using the wall for support. To his dismay, Grant pull another pair of handcuffs out of his pocket.

"Put you hands behind your back." Grant ordered. Luke did as instructed and Grant locked the cuffs on him then placed the key in his pocket. "Let's go."

Luke glanced back at Reid, then walked ahead of Grant, leading him through the green interior door and up the stairs.

Reid watched them leave. Despite what Luke had told him, a sense of dread began to creep over him. "Are you going to let him go?" He asked Carter.

Carter walked over to the green door and closed it. "Nah, we're just going to let him think that."

"I told you, he won't be able to identify either one of you." Reid tried. "He's too drunk. Just take his money and leave. You can take me with you. Hell, tie him up and knock him out if you have to, just leave him here."

"He means that much to you?" Carter asked.

"Yes."

Carter smiled his sick twisted smile. "Glad to hear it. Because I want you to have to pleasure of watching him die."

Reid stared at Carter, momentarily unable to speak. If he was going to die, he could accept it. But he couldn't accept Luke dying.

Carter cocked his head to the side. "You _really_ don't recognize me, do you?"

"Why the hell should I?" Reid said. "All I know is you're connected to the Thorne family. What are you? Their handy little henchman?"

"I'm connected to the Thorne family in more ways than you know." Carter replied. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Carter Thorne. James Thorne was my cousin. We grew up together, went to school together. He was the closest thing to a brother I'd ever had. And you allowed him to die."

Reid furrowed his brow. That was the last thing he expected, but now he fully understood Carter's motive. "You want to avenge your cousin. I suppose the fact that he was a murderer doesn't mean anything to you."

"Not really."

"I guess it wouldn't, considering you're a murderer too."

"And you know what _you_ are?" Carter stormed over to Reid's chair. "You're a Doctor. A fucking Doctor, that's all! You are _not_ God! You don't get to choose who lives and who dies. But that's exactly what you did, isn't it? You chose to operate on that FBI guy, knowing my cousin's condition was more critical. James was the one you should have operated on first! Why didn't you?"

"Your cousin tried to kill the FBI Agent." Reid said carefully. "This was _after_ he murdered a corrections officer, and who knows how many people before that."

"I don't give a damn about them." Carter said. "Do you know I had to sit there, next to my cousin's bed, and watch him as he slowly died? There was nothing I could do to stop it. You have no idea what that was like, Dr. Oliver. But you're going to find out."

Carter went over to a table and picked up a framed picture of Luke, studying it. "I want you to see the look on your boyfriend's face when he realizes he's going to die. That he never had a chance." He said quietly. "I'm going to cut both his wrists wide open, and you're going to sit there and watch the life slowly drain out of him. And there won't be anything you can do to stop it."

Reid briefly closed his eyes. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. "Luke and I didn't even know each other back then. He is innocent in all of this. He doesn't deserve to die."

"Neither did James, despite what you think." Carter returned the picture to the table. "That's what makes this so perfect. Even Poetic, don't you agree?"

Reid shook his head. "Luke's death is not going to bring your cousin back. You know that."

"True," Carter agreed, "but I'm going to enjoy it just the same."

Upstairs, Grant removed the large painting from Lily's bedroom wall, uncovering the gray door to the safe. "How do I get it open?"

Luke glanced at Grant's pocket, where key to his handcuffs were. "Unlock me and I'll open it."

Grant snorted. "Nice try. Give me the combo and _I'll_ open it."

"Why should I?" Luke asked. "I know you have no intention of letting me go."

Grant pointed his gun at Luke. "I have every intention of shooting you right now if you don't."

"Then you'll never get the money."

Grant hesitated. "So what?" Was all he could think to say.

"I will give you the combination." Luke said. "All you have to do is unlock me and let me climb out the window."

"We're on the second floor."

Luke shrugged. "I'll take my chances. You can tell Carter I escaped while your back was turned."

Grant thought to himself, his greed and alcohol-clouded mind almost over-ruling his better judgement. "No, Carter's got something in store for you. I don't know what, but he'll go ballistic."

"So you admit, you have no intention of letting me go." Luke said.

Grant opened his mouth then closed it. He hadn't meant to let that slip.

"The whole purpose in you being here was to find Dr. Oliver," Luke reminded him. "Now you have him. That's all Carter cares about. It doesn't matter what happens to me. Besides, why does he get to call all the shots? I thought you were partners, but he obviously controls your every move."

"Nobody controls me." Grant snapped. "I do what I want."

"If that's the case, let me go," Luke said, "Then you'll have all the money you want. Otherwise, you'll have nothing."

Grant thought to himself. "And what about your precious boyfriend? You'd just leave him behind? I thought you _cared_ about him."

"I do, but…" Luke lowered his head, "I also know what it's like to be controlled. That's all Reid did. He never truly cared about me. All he cared about was my money, my power and what it could do for him. He never showed me he loved me. Not like I showed him. Remember when you asked me how I proved it to him?"

"What did you do?" Grant asked, more than interested.

"Anything he wanted." Luke answered. "He didn't even have to ask."

Grant looked Luke over. "So basically, you were his little bitch."

"Call it whatever you want. But, yes, I can leave him behind. He's the reason I'm in this position." Luke raised his head, looking at Grant. "And If you agree to let me go, not only will I give you the money, but I'll do anything _you_ want.

Grant raised an eyebrow. "_Anything_?"

"Anything."

Grant stood, contemplating for a few seconds, then went over to Luke and touched his blond hair. "He ever tell you how attractive you are?"

Luke shook his head.

"That's ashame, cuz you are." Grant twirled a lock of Luke's hair between his fingers. "Maybe I deserve an extra bonus."

Luke nodded his head toward the door. "Close it."

Smiling, Grant quickly went to shut and lock the bedroom door. He returned to Luke and brought the barrel of his gun to Luke's chest, tracing a line from his collarbone to his stomach. Luke could feel his own stomach muscles clenching with tension and anxiety. He was trapped; completely at this man's mercy.

"Don't worry. It won't accidentally go off." Grant assured, then chuckled. "I'm not sure if I can say the same about myself." Without warning, he shoved Luke backwards.

Luke fell on the bed and suddenly, Grant was on top of him, forcing their mouths together. Luke squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the wave of panic that washed over him. He could taste blood inside his mouth and willed himself not to turn his head away, but he was about to get sick. Thankfully Grant broke the gruesome kiss.

"You've got a great body." Grant said.

"I do?" Luke could hear the tremor in his voice, but Grant didn't notice or maybe he didn't care. Luke kept himself still, giving no resistance as Grant's loathsome hands slowly groped him. Grant moved the gun under his shirt and Luke shivered, feeling the cold steel glide across his skin.

"_Really_ great." Grant removed the gun from beneath Luke's shirt and laid over him, slobbering into his neck.

Luke sucked in a sharp breath, his handcuffs painfully digging into his spine. "Wait!" He tried to shift beneath the larger man. "Unlock me."

Grant sat up. "I though you were going to do anything I wanted?"

"I will." Luke arched his back, trying to relieve some of the pressure. "But the cuffs are hurting my back. I can't do anything like this."

"There's one thing you can do." Grant sat the gun next to Luke's head and climbed off the bed. He stood at the foot, smiling with anticipation as he began to unbutton his pants.

Luke saw the one and only chance he'd been waiting for. He kicked Grant in the groin as hard as he could. Grant cried out, clutching himself, and keeled over. Luke brought a knee to his chest and kicked Grant in the face, causing the man to fly backwards to the floor. He lay there, motionless.

Luke climbed off the bed and got down on his knees, next to Grant. He twisted around and dug inside Grant's pocket, searching for the handcuff key. He glanced at the door, fearful that Carter may have heard the commotion. There was no time. Luke found the key and tried to concentrate on getting it in the lock. But the key was so impossibly small and narrow. The lock hole was even smaller. His swore furiously, unable to keep his hands from shaking. _God, please help me!_

Grant groaned and raised his head from the floor. "What the…!" He sat up just as Luke finally managed to free himself.

Luke scrambled to his feet and climbed on the bed, reaching for the gun, but Grant was right behind him. The hitman took two fistfuls of Luke's hair and hurled him to the floor. Grant then climbed on the bed, snatched the gun and turned. Luke jumped to his feet and kicked the gun from Grant's hand, sending it flying across the room.

They both dove for the gun and Luke grabbed it first, wrapping both his hands around the handle. He rolled onto his back, trying to aim the gun at Grant, but Grant quickly grabbed his arms and pinned them above his head. At the same time, he straddled Luke's stomach. Luke tried to kick over, but it was impossible, the larger man outweighed him considerably. But he kept his death-grip on the gun.

"I was probably going to let you go, you stupid little fuck." Grant sneered in Luke's face. He raised Luke's arms and slammed them to the floor, trying to jar the gun from his grip. "Doesn't matter, you're still going to do whatever the hell I want."

"Over my dead fucking body." Luke turned his head to the side and bit Grant's arm as hard as he could. Grant cried out painfully and released Luke, instinctively pulling away. Luke brought the gun down on him…

Downstairs, Reid and Carter both jump at the unmistakable sound of a gun shot.

Reid felt his stomach instantly tighten with fear. His heart began to pound.

"Grant, you son of a bitch!" Carter yelled furiously at the ceiling. "I told you not to kill him yet. You've fucking ruined everything!" He stormed to the green interior door.

"NO!" Reid jumped out of his chair and ran to Carter, ramming his shoulder into the man's lower back.

Carter yelped, his body slamming against the door so hard, it cracked down the middle. Blinded by fury and greif, Reid started to ram into him again, but Carter managed to lunge out of the way. Unable to stop his own momentum, Reid hit the door, nearly going through it. He fell back onto the floor.

Carter stood over him, holding his lower back with one hand and his gun with the other. "You really messed up, Doctor." He cocked the gun. "Change of plans. Any last words?"

Reid twisted to his knees. "Rot in hell… with your cousin."

Carter's eyes flash. "After you."

A deafening shot went off in the room and Reid fell back. It took him a second to register that he hadn't been hit. He looked down at himself in disbelief then back up at Carter.

Carter's mouth dropped open, his face an ugly mask of shock. Reid gasped, seeing a dark red stain spread across Carter's shirt.

"Drop the gun." Luke's voice ordered.

Carter lowered his gun and slowly staggered around to face Luke.

Luke stood in the interior doorway, his gun aimed at Carter's chest. "I'm not going to say it again."

"Well I'll be damned." Carter weakly snorted. "Once again, I underestimated you." He raised his gun to Luke, but wasn't fast enough. Luke pulled the trigger. Carter dropped to his knees, his gun slipping from his lifeless grip. To Luke's astonishment, the hitman gave him one last twisted smile then fell forward.

Luke stood for several seconds, keeping his gun aimed at Carter then carefully stepped over his body. "Are you okay?"

Reid could only nod, stunned over what just took place.

Luke knelt behind him and sat the gun on the floor. He pulled the small key out of his pocket and unlocked Reid's handcuffs.

Reid instantly turned and grabbed Luke. "Are _you_ okay?"

"I think so." Luke looked at Carter. A pool of blood was circling around the hitman's body. "Is he… dead?"

Reid crawled over to Carter's body and placed two fingers at his neck. "He's dead."

Luke quickly turned away. "Oh God, I've never killed anyone. I think I killed Grant too." He covered his mouth, feeling like he was going to vomit.

"Take a deep breath." Reid returned to Luke and placed his hands on Luke's shoulders. He could feel Luke shaking. Or maybe it was his own hands shaking, he couldn't tell. "It was self-defence. You had no choice. They were going to kill us. God, I thought he'd killed you."

Luke drew in a deep breath, trying to get himself under control. "What are we going to do? How am I suppose to explain this? What's going to happen?"

"Just calm down." Reid tried to keep his voice steady. He stood and pulled Luke to his feet. "I don't know what we're going to do, but we'll figure something out."

Suddenly, the front door flew open, startling them both. Agent Michaels stepped inside, his gun drawn. "Are you two, okay?"

"_Impeccable _timing." Reid replied. "Where the _hell_ have you been?"

Without answering, Michaels walked over to Carter's body, examining him. "What happened?"

"That's Carter Thorne." Reid explained. "Cousin to James Thorne."

Luke blinked. "They were cousins?"

"That's what he told me." Reid said. "They came here and identified themselves as FBI agents. Then they held Luke hostage, trying to get him to tell my whereabouts."

"_They_?" Michaels asked. "There's more than one?"

"The other guy is upstairs." Luke said. "His name is Grant. I shot him. I shot them both."

Micheals looked from Luke to Reid. "How did you end up here? You should be long gone by now."

Luke also looked at Reid. "Why _did_ you come here?"

"I knew something was wrong when I spoke to you on the phone earlier." Reid explained. "I couldn't leave until I knew you were okay."

"I didn't see your car outside." Michaels said.

"I parked a block away and walked."

Luke slowly shook his head. "Reid, when you realized what was happening, you should have left."

Reid frowned. "Do you honestly believe I could just walk away and leave you here to _die_?"

"You could have left and call the police." Micheals said.

Reid sighed, exasperated. "Sorry for not thinking of that. I must have been off my game."

"Just stay here, I'll be right back." Michaels hurried through the interior door and went upstairs.

Reid turned to Luke. "How did you get the gun? How did you even get out of your handcuffs?"

Luke shook his head. "Not now, please. I caught him off guard and got the gun. That's all that matters."

Reid wanted to question more, but didn't. Instead he pulled Luke close, tightly wrapping his arms around him. Luke lay his head on Reid's shoulder, letting Reid rock him. He wasn't sure if Reid was aware he was doing it, but he didn't want Reid to stop.

A few minutes later, Michaels returned to the room. "The guy upstairs is dead too. Did he mention if he was a relative of the Thornes?"

"He wasn't. He was just hired help." Luke answered.

Agent Micheals looked around the room. Blood was everywhere. "The authorities need to be contacted."

"And what is Luke suppose to tell them?" Reid asked. "For no particular reason, he just happen to shoot two random thugs in his house?"

"I'm sorry," Michaels said, "but there's no way I could possibly cover this up."

"I wouldn't ask you to." Reid said. "But maybe we need to drop this whole charade about me being dead. And I would never mention your involvement."

"There's no possible way you could ever return." Michaels said. "How would you explain the transplant? And what about the ramifications for Dr. Dixon?"

Reid shook his head. "I don't know." He admitted.

Suddenly, they could hear a cell phone ringing from the kitchen.

"That's mine," Luke said, "I thought I'd left it in the car." He ran into the kitchen and found his cell behind the dish drainer. "It's Jack." Luke returned to the livingroom. "He's my Uncle and a Detective with the Oakdale PD."

"You'd better answer it." Michaels said.

Luke opened the phone. "Hello."

"Hey Luke, I just wanted to let you know I'm on my way to your house." Jack said.

"You're coming to the house, now?"

"Yeah, we got some calls at the station from a few people in the area. They think they heard gunshots. There should be a patrol out there now, scanning the neighborhood, but I'm going to stop by the place to make sure everything's okay. I told Holden I'd keep an eye on things while everyone's gone. You're still at the Lakeview, right?"

"No." Luke said. "I'm at home."

"You are? Did you hear anything?"

Luke bit his lower lip. "Yes, it _was_ gunshots. They were from my house."

"_What_?"

Luke glanced at Reid and Michaels. "Two guys broke in. I don't know who they were, but they knew about me and my work. They were trying to extort money from my Foundation and… I killed them."

"I'll be right there, Luke!"

Luke closed his cell phone. "Jack's on his way."

"You think he's going to believe that?" Reid asked.

"There's no reason he wouldn't, right?" Luke looked at Michaels.

Michaels thought to himself then looked at Reid. "There's nothing to indicate you were ever here. Or that this had anything to do with you."

"This is insane!" Reid insisted.

"It's the only way, Reid." Luke said. "Jack is going to be here any second, and he'll have re-enforcements. You've got to get out of here."

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Reid snapped. "I can't just leave after everything that's happened!"

"You have to." Luke cupped Reid's face. "Don't you see? You're _still_ safe. Nobody knows you're alive and it has to stay that way. I understand that now."

"He's right." Michaels said. "You need to go."

"No,' Reid shook his head, defiantly, "I'm not going anywhere until I know you're okay. I need to take you to the hospital."

"I'm fine." Luke tried to assure.

"You don't know that." Reid argued. "You need a CT to check for skull fractures and any other brain injuries. You need a full body CT."

Michaels came over and placed a hand on Reid's shoulder. "I'll make sure he gets to the hospital."

Reid was quiet for a long moment, debating with himself, but deep down he knew he had no choice. It didn't matter what he wanted, or rather what his heart wanted. The heart had no logic or reasoning, he had to follow his brain. "I want Dr. Chris Hughes to take care of him, no one else." Reid told Michaels. "If he's not there, have him paged."

"I'll find him." Michaels promised. He went to the window and peered through the blinds.

"Well, I guess we got our Saturday night after all." Luke said quietly.

Reid snorted. "I'll be sure to put this in my scrapbook of favorite memories."

"If it makes you happy."

Reid just looked at him. "None of this makes me happy. It should never have happened. I could have spared you all this if I'd never returned to Oakdale."

"Those guys would have come here no matter what," Luke said firmly. "Carter told me, they'd been scoping out my place for days, before you even came to town. _None_ of this is your fault."

Reid lowered his head, wishing he could believe that.

"Remember when I told you earlier I'd risk anything to be with you?" Luke said. "You thought I was joking, huh?"

Reid faintly smiled. "You didn't have to go all out to prove it."

Luke returned his smile. "Reid, I'm so grateful you came back. I know I'd said I wished you hadn't, but it's not true. Just knowing you're alive…" He wrapped his arms around Reid.

"I expect you to take care of yourself." Reid said, stroking Luke's back. "This time I want you to promise me."

Luke nodded. "I will."

Michaels returned from the window. "An unmarked car is turning into the driveway. Along with a couple of patrols and an ambulance."

"It's Jack!" Luke quickly pulled away. "Reid, you have to go out the backdoor!"

Reid hesitated. It was all happening so fast.

"Hurry!" Luke took Reid's arm and rushed him to the green interior door. "Go past the stairs, the backdoor will be straight ahead!"

Reid stopped, halfway through and took Luke's face in his hands. "I love you." He kissed Luke one last time then darted through the door.

"LUKE!" Jack Snyder burst through the front door.

Luke spun around, but stayed inside the door frame, blocking anything Jack might see. However, Jack only noticed Michaels and quickly drew his gun. "Freeze! Get you hands up where I can see them."

"Jack wait!" Luke yelled. "He's here to help."

"I'm Agent Michaels with the Federal Bureau of Investigation," Michaels carefully opened his jacket and reached inside to pull out his badge.

Jack lowered his gun. A couple of cops came through the door, weapons drawn, and Jack held up a hand halting them. "He's FBI. Check on that guy." He pointed to Carter's body. "Where's the other intruder?"

"Upstairs, in my Mom's room." Luke answered.

"One of you get up there." Jack ordered his men. "And get a wagon out here."

Luke quickly glanced behind him then stepped away from the door, letting the officer pass.

Jack holstered his gun and hurried over to Luke. "What happened to you? I've got to get you to the ambulance."

"I look worse than I am," Luke said, "I don't need an ambulance."

"Your Dad would kill me if I didn't get you to the hospital, considering the way you look." Jack said. "Don't argue with me, I'll drag you there if I have to."

"I'll help you." Michaels added. He gave Luke a pointed Luke. "You need to take care of yourself."

Luke nodded, resigning. Michaels wasn't going to break his promise to Reid, and he knew he couldn't either.

Jack looked at Michaels. "Why would the FBI be here?"

"We've been on these guys for a while." Michaels answered. "They're career thieves. I manage to track them here, but unfortunately I didn't get here soon enough. However, Mr. Snyder managed to defended himself."

Jack shook his head at Luke, amazed. "How did you do that?"

"Why don't we get him to a hospital first." Michaels said quickly. "Once he's checked out, I'd like to ask him a few questions. I'll fill you in on my side of things."

"Fine with me." Jack grabbed a coat off the wall, threw it around Luke's shoulders and steered him to the front door.

They stepped outside and Luke stopped, seeing a group of curious spectators, collecting at the end of the driveway. He studied the group, but it was hard to see anyone specific in the dark. However, he knew Reid wouldn't be among them. He felt an odd mixture of relief while at the same time his heart ached.

"Are you going to make it?" Jack asked, regarding him with concern.

Luke quickly nodded, realizing he was showing more emotion than he meant. "Yeah. Eventually."

(Late Evening)

Reid sat in a corner booth of the truck stop dinner. Nobody outside of Oakdale knew who he was or cared. Still, he tried to be inconspicuous, wearing a ball cap and reading glasses. This late at night, there were only a few patrons and they were out-of-town truck drivers. They left him alone. So did his waitress, although it took a couple of rude comments for her to get the hint. She'd finally left a full pot of coffee on his table, along with plenty of sugar and cream, sparing herself from having to come over and check on him anymore.

He'd lost track of how long he'd been waiting. He drummed his nails on the side of his cup, impatient and anxious. He wasn't sure how much longer he could sit, before jumping in the car and heading to the hospital. But finally, Agent Michaels entered the dinner and walked over to the booth.

"What took so long?" Reid sat up. "Is he okay? Is everything alright?"

"He has a concussion." Michaels informed, sliding into the booth. "Other than that, he'll be fine. He's a tough young man."

"Yes, he is." Reid agreed. "Did you find Chris Hughes?"

"He was on duty." Michaels said. "I didn't even have to talk to him. He automatically ordered all the tests you'd wanted. He's personally looking after him."

Reid sat back in the booth, relieved. "Did anybody call his parents, Holden and Lily?"

"Yeah, there was a woman there named, Katie." Michaels answered. "She called them and they're on their way now. She's staying with him until they arrive. To be honest, I think Dr. Hughes and that woman are driving him crazy. They both seem to be a little extra protective of him."

"I'm not surprised." Reid nodded, satisfied. "What about Detective Snyder? What did you tell him?"

"Exactly what Luke told him," Michaels said. "I also make it clear that this is the FBI's concern not Oakdale PD's. It's out of their hands. He didn't question me. His main concern was for Luke. Trust me, Luke's getting more help and support than he wants."

Reid faintly smiled. "Hey? Why did you show up at Luke's house? You were suppose to be leaving town too."

"I had to check out of my hotel room first." Michaels said. "Then I decided to drive past his house to make sure he made it home okay. I just happened to hear the gunshots."

"I see." Reid stared out the window for a moment. "You warned me something like this could happen if I ever came back to Oakdale. I didn't listen. As a result, he was almost killed."

"Thankfully he wasn't." Michaels said. "And I have a feeling, after all this, the Thorne family is going to leave you both alone. It turns out this Carter Thorne really was a career criminal. He'd been in and out of prison for various crimes. The family doesn't want the press in their business and they _certainly_ don't want any investigations started. When the hospital contacted them, no one wanted to come to Oakdale. They arranged to have both bodies shipped to Dallas."

"So you think Luke will be safe?" Reid asked.

"I honestly do." Michaels said. "The only thing left, is to put this all behind you. You both need to move on with your lives."

Reid reached into his pocket and pulled out his alternate cell phone "You might want to take that." He sat it on the table.

Michaels took the phone. "He told me about the phones. I already took his. Even though these are pre-paid, there are still records. I'll make sure everything's erased."

"I don't know how to thank you." Reid said sincerely. "Not only for helping me, but for helping Luke."

Michaels smiled. "Lets just consider this all debts are paid. Now it's time to go home." He held out his hand. "Have a good life, Doctor Strickland."

Reid shook Michael's hand. "You too, Agent Michaels."

Michaels slid out of the booth. "One more thing." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small piece of folded paper and sat it on the table. Giving Reid one last nod, he walked away.

Reid watch him leave with the impression, he probably wasn't going to see the FBI Agent again. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, for it meant he was now on his own. But it was just as well. It _was_ time to move on. More importantly, it was time he allowed Luke to finally move on.

Reid picked up the paper, noting it was from a doctor's prescription pad. He opened it and recognized Luke's neat hand-writing: _I love you too_.

Reid re-folded the paper and placed it in his wallet. He left a generous tip on the table then left the dinner.

TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 / Epilogue**

Reid slowly walked down the corridor of the Shriner's Hospital for Children. He'd only been on staff for a few months, but so far everything seemed to be going well. He had to respect the Hospital's dedication and commitment to helping underprivileged children with debilitating handicaps. To his surprise, he discovered working with these kids was more rewarding than any work he'd ever done. Their positive outlook on life, despite their physical disadvantages, simply amazed him. He found himself showing a new appreciation for things, he'd always taken for granted, such as the ability to simply walk without aid or physical discomfort.

Unfortunately the neurological center needed an extreme over-haul. The equipment was older than he liked and the staff needed more training. The center also didn't have any extra rooms for family to stay over with the kids. Something Reid wanted to change. He also wanted the kids to have special rooms, such as play rooms and media rooms with computers and video games. He wanted to introduce new forms of mental therapy, such as field trips and horseback rides. So Reid took the initiative, spending all his extra hours drawing up a proposal for a renovated neurological center, with the most advance technology and staff.

His proposal was well received by the Board of Directors, but unfortunately the hospital simply didn't have the extra funds. They would need more than a donation; this would have to be an investment. The Hospital decided to shop around, looking for charitable organizations willing to make the investment. Fortunately, it didn't take long to find a potential investor.

The potential investor had been at the hospital all day, meeting with members of the board and the Chief of Staff. Reid tried his best to avoid the meetings. He had no desire to be paraded around in yet another dog & pony show, so made up excuses as to why he couldn't be available. The Bigwigs could deal with it; that's what they were there for. But his new Chief of Staff, Dr. Winters, insisted he meet the potential investor by the end of the day. No excuses. So Reid purposely chose to arrive at his Chief's office late, hoping all the corporate talk was over with.

Reid quietly opened the door to the Chief's office and peered inside. Dr. Winter's sat at his desk, speaking to the potential investor. The Doctor glanced up and stopped whatever he was saying when he noticed Reid. "Finally, Doctor. Come in."

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I got caught up with a patient." Reid smoothly explained as he stepped inside the room.

Dr. Winters stood and came from behind his desk. "Dr. Ryan Strickland, I'd like you to meet Mr. Snyder, CEO of the Luke Snyder Foundation."

Luke turned in his chair and stood. "Oh yes, the brilliant neurosurgeon you've told me so much about." He held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Reid just stared at him, stunned, until Dr. Winters gave him a subtle nudge. Shaking himself, Reid took Luke's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you too."

Dr. Winters clapped Reid on the back. "Dr. Strickland has only been with us a few months, but we're lucky to have him on our staff. I can honestly tell you, I've never seen a neurosurgeon with his skills. And his proposal for the renovated center is quite remarkable."

"I agree," Luke said, "I've gone over your proposal a couple of times. Very impressive, Dr. Strickland."

"Thank you, Mr. Snyder." Reid coolly replied. "I look forward to running my ideas by you. Perhaps you have a few minutes now? I can take you to my office and show you another outline I've been working on."

"That would be great."

"Excellent," The Chief smiled. "I'm sure you'll be very impressed. Lets go."

"I'd rather speak to Mr. Snyder alone." Reid told his chief.

"That's fine with me." Luke said. "I'd like to hear Dr. Strickland's proposal in his own words, instead of from other people."

The Chief hesitated. "If you wish." He went to Luke and steered him away from Reid, speaking in a hushed tone. "Just so you know, Dr. Strickland can sometimes comes across as a little… abrupt. Please don't take it personal. He really is brilliant Doctor."

Luke tried not to smile. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

Reid opened the door, giving Luke a polite smile. "If you're ready, Mr. Snyder."

"If you have any questions or concerns," Dr. Winters told Luke, "please don't hesitate to talk to me about them."

"Thank you Dr. Winters." Luke shook the Chief's hand then walked out the door.

"My office is this way." Reid said.

Luke walked next to Reid, without saying anything until he entered the office. "I see you're already making a reputation for yourself. Good to know some things never change."

"Is that a surprise?" Reid locked his door. "Now Mr. Snyder, would you mind telling me what _hell _you are doing here?"

"I thought that was already covered?" Luke said. "The Foundation is going to be investing—"

"You know what I mean," Reid interrupted, "After _everything_ that's happened, are you out of your fucking mind!'

"Why are you always asking me that?"

"I have good reason."

"Well rest assured, I'm not out of my fucking mind." Luke smiled. "As a matter of fact, I'm in a great frame of mind. I'm really looking forward to this new project."

"Pick another project." Reid said. "Because whatever you're thinking, it's not going to happen. I can't be around you and put your life in danger again."

"My life is not in danger, Reid," Luke firmly assured, "And neither is yours. Everything is okay."

"_Okay_?" Reid was flabbergasted. "You were almost _murdered_ because of me."

"Those guys weren't trying to kill me because of you." Luke said. "They were trying to extort money from my multi-million dollar Foundation."

"I know what the official report says." Reid replied. "But we both know that's not true."

"Nobody else knows," Luke said, "That's all that matters."

"Have you forgotten about the Thorne Family?" Reid asked. "Despite what they say, they know what really happened."

Luke sat in a chair, making himself comfortable. "The Thorne family has made it public that this 'cousin' of theirs was ostracized a long time ago, due to his criminal tendencies. They claim, they had no knowledge of his intentions."

"That's bull-shit."

"Maybe so, but they're off our backs for good." Luke said. "Agent Michael's contacted me himself. According to his informant, the last thing this family wants is to be associated with a plot to rob and murder the CEO of such a charitable, respected organization. Especially now that my Grandmother Lucinda is on their backs. She has friends in _much_ higher places than they do. And I suspect much shadier places too. Whether or not you're alive is the least of their concerns."

"Do you honestly believe they'll dropped this because of your _Grandmother_?" Reid asked.

Luke just smiled. "It's too bad you never got the chance to know my Grandmother. If you had, you wouldn't even question. Trust me, the entire family is facing her wrath. All they want to do is disappear, and by the time my Grandmother is done, they'll probably get their wish."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It's probably best neither one of us know."

Reid sat on the edge of his desk, letting it all sink in. He'd also received a call from Agent Michaels; however, Luke's Grandmother was something he hadn't heard about. It wasn't hard for him to believe the woman was powerful. It was due to her, he was granted the emergency hearing with the Texas Review Licensing Board.

Someone began to knock on the door. "Go away, I'm in a meeting." Reid impatiently snapped.

"Dr. Winters wants me to see if Mr. Snyder needs anything." A nurse said from the other side.

"You mean he wants you to check up on me and make sure I'm not scaring away the potential investor." Reid corrected, annoyed.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Could you at least open the door and tell her everything is fine."

Grumbling, Reid reluctantly went to the door and opened it. "Everything is fine. You can go back and make your report."

The nurse peered inside and Luke smiled at her. "Thank you for checking on me, I don't need anything right now."

She smiled. "Okay, but if you do— "

"He'll let you know." Reid abruptly closed the door.

Luke shook his head. "What happened to all the 'people skills' training?"

"I guess Dr. Strickland never got around to that." Reid snapped. "Look, I'm sorry, but you've completely caught me off guard here. What do you expect me to do?"

"I'm not really sure." Luke said. "I guess I thought, you might be a little happy to see me."

"It's not that…" Reid sighed, "You need to understand, you're in St. Louis talking to Dr. Ryan Strickland. Dr. Reid Oliver is dead. Nothing is going to change that."

"I understand." Luke said carefully. "And I know _exactly_ who I'm talking too."

"Good." Reid didn't know what else to say. Luke was the last person in the world he ever expected to see again. He noted, Luke looked healthy. He could tell through the designer suit, his weight was back to normal. His bangs were as long and golden as ever, a loose lock hanging in his soft brown eyes. He looked so fucking good. Reid shook the thoughts out of his head; this was the last thing he needed to be thinking about. "So how long are you here?"

"A week, but this won't be my last trip." Luke answered. "I could really use somebody to show me around the city. An attractive young Doctor perhaps?"

"I'm sure I can hook you up with Dr. Michelle Slater," Reid offered, "She's lived here her entire life. She showed me around."

Luke pretended to consider the offer. "Nah, I think a neurosurgeon might be better to have around. You never know, I could get hit on the head by a falling brick."

"Are you sure that hasn't already happened?" Reid dryly replied. "Because this is… I don't even know what this is."

"It's me doing what I've always done," Luke said, "Trying to help others. And your ideas are brilliant. Think of what we can do? I can even provide ships so the kids can go on cruises."

Reid thought for a second. "That's actually not a bad idea."

Luke smiled. "And just because I'm here on Foundation business, doesn't mean I can't mix business with pleasure. So if that attractive neurosurgeon happens to asked me out to dinner…"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Reid said.

"Okay, then I'll ask him out."

"That's not a good idea either."

Luke lost his smile. "Look, I know I caught you off guard, but I really think we should talk. I—"

The door opened and Dr. Winters stuck his head inside. "Mr. Snyder, forgive me for interrupting, but one of the board members would like to have a word with you before you leave."

"Of course." Luke forced a smile. "I'll be right there."

Dr. Winters glanced at Reid, but seemed relieved the Doctor was behaving himself. He closed the door.

"I guess I'd better go." Luke stood. "Will you come see me this evening? I'm staying downtown at the Gateway Hotel."

"I don't know," Reid looked at his watch, "I usually end up working late."

"I understand." Luke said quietly. Reid could clearly hear the disappointment in his voice.

Luke cleared his throat. "Well, if you have some extra time, that's where I'll be. Just ask for me at the front desk. I'll leave them your name."

"Okay." Reid simply replied.

Luke walked to the door then stopped. He pulled a black Knight chess piece out of his pocket and sat it on Reid's desk. "It's your move." He left the office.

Reid picked up the chess piece and sighed. Just when he was starting to move on and adjust to his new life…

(Later)

Luke finished combing his freshly blow-dried hair then studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He took a few steps back, making sure the rest of him looked okay. "What are you doing?" Luke asked his reflection, feeling a little ridiculous. It's not like he was going out for a night on the town. He actually didn't have any plans for the evening. But still, he hoped more than anything that might change.

He returned to the living room and looked out the large picture windows. He was on the top floor of the Gateway Hotel in a luxury suite, with an amazing view of the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River. The sun had already set and the city lights twinkled in the night sky. As much as he loved Oakdale, Oakdale never gave him views like this. He could definitely get used to it.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Luke quickly smoothed down his blue long-sleeved shirt, Reid's favorite, then went to the door and opened it.

"Good Evening, Mr. Snyder." A front desk clerk greeted. "I have an envelope for you. It was left at the front desk."

"Oh," Luke took the envelope, noticing it was from the Shriner's Hospital. "Who delivered it?"

"It was delivered by courier."

"Thank you." Luke gave the man a tip then remained in the doorway, quickly tearing the envelope open. Maybe it was something from Reid. However all he saw inside were documents, relating to the neurology project. There was also a note from Dr. Winters, asking if he would look over the papers and sign them.

Luke leaned against the doorframe and sighed. So much for that. Apparently this was how he was going to spend the evening. He couldn't help but feel disappointed and maybe even a little hurt. Maybe he shouldn't be, but he couldn't help it.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked, walking over.

Luke looked over, surprised. He didn't even notice Reid. "Where did you come from?"

"I just got off the elevator." Reid said. "Is there some reason you're standing in the doorway?"

"I just got a delivery from the hospital." Luke answered. "Dr. Winters wants me to sign some things."

Reid nodded. "I guess I could have brought them over myself, but I didn't exactly mention I was coming to see you."

Luke only smiled. Reid wore dark jeans, a casual black shirt and his black leather jacket. Once again he was clean-shaven; he looked so incredibly handsome.

Reid raised his eyebrows, waiting. "May I come in?"

"Oh, yes, sorry." Luke stood aside allowing the doctor to enter. As Reid passed him, he couldn't help but notice the scent of his intoxicating after-shave.

"Damn! _This_ is where you're staying?" Reid looked around, impressed. The suite looked more like a loft. Everything was stylish and obviously expensive; from the black leather furniture in the living room to the stainless steel appliances and black marble counter tops in the kitchen. "How pretentious."

Luke cocked his head to the side. "It's not pretentious, it's necessary."

"This is a _necessity_?"

"These are the only rooms that have a fax machine and copier." Luke explained. "I need them for business. That's why I'm here, after all."

"Right." Reid walked over to the windows. "That's some view."

Luke went to stand beside him. "Have you ever been inside the Arch?"

"No, I've been working." Reid said.

"Do you ever do anything outside of work?"

"Not really."

"Oh. Well, do you want something to drink?" Luke offered.

"What do you have?"

"Soda and water." Luke answered. "I can have them bring up some beer. For you." He quickly added, seeing Reid's frown. "I don't drink anymore. I haven't drank since that night."

"So this is what?" Reid cynically asked, "The third or fourth time you've stopped drinking?"

Luke lowered his eyes and flushed, and Reid could have kicked himself. He knew he was the reason behind Luke's latest bouts of drinking. "That's not what I meant to say."

"It's okay. You're only telling the truth." Luke said. "I've gone to a few AA meetings."

"You have?"

Luke nodded. "I've never done that before. I've never considered myself an alcoholic. I mean, it's not like I drink all the time. At least not since I was a teenager. I used to drink so much back then. But I realize that doesn't mean I don't have a problem. I thought as I got older I was more in control, but that was never really the case. Anytime things got difficult the only way I knew how to cope was by going on a drinking binge. And obviously drinking never fixes anything, but it helps. And I know how stupid that sounds, because it really doesn't help, but… it does. I guess that proves how messed up I am."

"You're not messed up." Reid replied.

Luke shrugged. "The meetings have been… enlightening. I'm going to keep going."

"That's good." Reid complimented. "You should be proud of yourself."

Luke snorted, amused. "Why? Because I'm a drunk who doesn't know how to control his liquor?"

Reid smiled. "No, because you're making an effort to help yourself. That's not an easy thing to do."

Luke smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

Reid shrugged. "I managed to get off at a decent time."

"Have you ate?" Luke asked. "I can order some dinner. Then we can talk."

"I don't know what to say to you, Luke." Reid said. "I don't know what we need to talk about other than the hospital project."

"Then why are you here?" Luke asked. "Because we can obviously talk about that at the hospital."

Reid hesitated. Like an idiot, he hadn't come up with an excuse. "Good question."

Lowering his head, Luke scratched below his ear. "Have your… have your feelings for me changed?"

Reid was quiet for a moment. "No…and that's the problem."

"Why?" Luke asked. "I love you and you love me. Why is that a problem?"

"Because maybe we shouldn't keep doing this."

"Doing what?" Luke snapped, frustrated.

Reid sighed. "I can't keep allowing myself to love you and want to be with you, when it's become pretty damn obvious we're not meant to be together. Look at our history. Every time we try we fail! Whether it's because of an ex-boyfriend, hospital politics, a fucking train wreck, or the fact that you were almost murdered when I tried to see you again. I don't believe in fate, but if I did, it's telling us something."

"Well I believe it faith." Luke said. "And you know what it tells me? That we _are_ meant to be together. Yes, we've been through a lot of shit, but we always find our way back. That has to mean something. _Hell_, not even death has derailed us, because here we are again."

Reid snorted, amused. "Not even death has _derailed_ us? Was that suppose to be a clever train pun?"

Luke cringed. "That just slipped out. There was absolutely no pun intended."

Reid smiled. "Good, because it would have been a bad one."

Luke returned his smile. "We can make this work."

"How?" Reid asked. "You're only here a week. What are you going to do; fly into town once or twice a year? I don't do long distance."

"What do you think of this place?" Luke asked, unexpectedly.

Reid frowned. "Honestly, I don't care. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because it's mine."

"Come again?"

"I'm going to be here longer than a week." Luke explained. "I'm going to sign a lease. And before you say anything, don't presume this is all about you. My foundation work has always been important to me. And I'm really excited about this partnership with the Shriner's Hospital. Adding them to my list is something I should have done a long time ago. This is going to be my biggest project and it's going to keep me busy. So since I'm going to be in St. Louis so much, it only makes sense to rent a place instead of constantly booking hotels."

"How does this make sense?" Reid asked. "Did you forget your Foundation headquarters is in Oakdale? What about Grimaldi Shipping? Your family?"

"I can see my family anytime." Luke said. "The Grimaldi jet is mine to use whenever I want. And the shipping company basically runs itself. I've never had to do much; the executives who've been there for years keep it running. As far as my Foundation goes, I've appointed my Mom Executive Director again. She loves the job. I'll fly back to the office for important meetings and anything else major. Other than that, I can run the Foundation from here."

"You've thought of everything, haven't you." Reid looked around again. "This place is _definitely_ different from your Mom's house."

"That's why I like it." Luke said. "Honestly, I've never shared my parent's taste in decor. I've always liked a more contemporary and modern style. I've just never had the opportunity to have that until now."

"You can always get an apartment in Oakdale and fly to St. Louis instead." Reid pointed out. "Why go to the trouble of moving here?"

Luke slowly shook his head. "For a brain surgeon, you just don't get it, do you? You'll never be able to be with me in Oakdale. We both know that. But there's nothing in the world that says I can't be with you in St. Louis."

Reid didn't say anything.

"I don't know if Dr. Winters mentioned this," Luke continued, "but I never contacted the Shriner's Hospital. _They_ contacted me. They could have called any charity organization in the world, but they called mine. And they called me in regards to a project you're working on. This is why I believe in faith. So are you still going to tell me, we weren't meant to be together?"

"This wouldn't be a real relationship, Luke." Reid said quietly. "You would always have to pretend I'm someone else. You could never call me by my real name in public. And won't your family think it's strange when they find out you're seeing someone, but they'll never be able to meet me?"

"I don't care." Luke said. "I'd rather be with you in secret for the rest of my life than be without you."

Reid turned and stared out the window for the longest time. Luke followed Reid's gaze and realized, Reid was focused on a building far off in the distance. "What are you thinking?" Luke finally had to ask.

"I think signing a lease is a bad idea." Reid replied.

"It's my decision." Luke said.

"It's a bad one." Reid turned away from the window. "I need to go. There's something I have to do." He headed for the door.

"Can't you do it later?" Luke followed him. "Aren't we going to talk about this more?"

"We will." Reid opened the door.

"Wait!" Luke grabbed Reid's arm. "Please don't go."

Reid paused. "Just give me a little time. I'll come back."

Luke released Reid's arm, unable to believe the Doctor was actually going leave. But that's exactly what Reid did. Luke watched him walk down the hall, then closed the door and leaned his forehead against it. _Why did I ever come here_?

An hour later, Luke sat at the bar of the hotel lounge, dully stirring his drink with his straw. St. Louis was a mistake; he realized that now. He didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't Reid walking out on him.

He noticed three girls sitting at the other end of the bar, giggling and occasionally looking in his direction. Luke ignored them. Everyone in the bar seemed to be having a good time, except him. Maybe he should go back upstairs. After all, he had documents to look over.

"You're staring into that drink kind of hard." A pretty brunette commented, as she slid into the barstool next to him.

Luke looked at her. He didn't notice her approach, but realized she was part of the giggling trio. "I guess."

She gave him a flirtatious smile. "Can I buy you another?"

"I'm gay." Luke bluntly informed.

She blinked. "What?"

"Why beat around the bush?" Luke shrugged. "But thanks for the offer."

"Oh, sure." She politely smiled. "Well, have a good night."

"You too."

The brunette returned to her friends. "You knew he was too cute to be true," he over-heard one of them say.

Luke propped his head on his hand. At least someone appreciated the time he'd wasted trying to look decent. However, he sighed when another person slid into the same barstool. "I'm saving that for someone."

"No you're not." Reid said.

Luke raised his head, surprised.

"You know how I know that's a lie." Reid continued. "Because nobody you know in this town would ever drink with you. Except maybe me."

"That's because you're the only person I know." Luke returned. "And you're wrong. See that girl?" He pointed to the brunette. "She was going to buy me a drink."

"How nice." Reid picked up Luke's glass. "What's this?"

"Soda."

Reid took a drink.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, just thirsty." Reid sat the glass down. "So what are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Luke asked. "I thought you had more important things to do."

"I did and now I'm done." Reid said. "I told you, I'd come back."

"I didn't except you to come back tonight." Luke returned to stirring his drink. "Especially after the way you left."

"Sorry about that." Reid said. "It's hard to explain, but… I want you to go somewhere with me."

"Now?"

Reid nodded.

Luke shook his head. "I'm really not in the mood to go anywhere with you."

"It won't take long." Reid said. "Please."

Luke sighed. "Where?"

"Just come on." Reid took Luke's arm, dragged him off the stool and out of the bar. A few minutes later they were driving in Reid's car.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked.

"It's a surprise." Reid glanced at Luke who gazed out the window, disinterested. "Maybe it's a surprise. It all depends on what you think."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You'll see."

They eventually drove to a building and Luke realized it was the same building Reid had been gazing at from the hotel suite. Reid drove to the garage entrance and hit the automatic door opener attached to his visor.

Luke looked at Reid. "You live here?"

"I've got an apartment on the fifteenth floor." Reid answered. "I want you to see it. Is that okay?"

"I guess." Luke shrugged, although he was truly curious to see where the Doctor lived.

They rode up the elevator in silence, and Luke suddenly remembered the time him and Reid got stuck in the elevator at the Lakeview. For some reason, that didn't seem nearly as weird as things did now. Then again, their relationship was strictly professional at the time.

The elevator dinged and stopped. They got off and passed a couple of apartment doors before stopping at Reid's. "Here we are." Reid unlocked the door and held it open.

Luke walked inside, through a clean open-concept kitchen and into a big living room. Or maybe it just seemed big, due to the lack of furniture. A sofa sat on one wall with a coffee table in front of it. Across the room was a small TV stand with a flat screen. That was it. Even the walls were completely bare.

"Did you just get this place?" Luke asked.

"I've had it since I've lived here." Reid said. "I really need furniture, I just haven't had time to buy anything. I've been busy."

Luke walked over to the window. "You have a nice view. I can see the Arch."

"It doesn't look nearly as close as it did from your suite." Reid said. "But it works. This is a two-bedroom apartment. It's got a good sized bathroom and a washer and dryer."

"That's cool." Luke absently replied. "Why do you need a two-bedroom?"

Reid shrugged. "I figured I could use it as an office or something."

Luke nodded. "This is a cool place."

"You can be honest." Reid said. "I know it doesn't seem like much compared to what you're accustomed too."

Luke looked at him. "And what am I accustomed too?"

"You're used to a higher standard."

"_Right_," Luke snorted, "Just the other day, I was helping my Dad muck out the stables. That's high class, let me tell you."

Reid smiled. "Then you jumped on your private jet and flew to the city."

"Incase you forgot, I've spent part of my life living on a farm." Luke reminded him. "Just because I have money, doesn't mean I have to live in a mansion. If I wanted one, I'd get one."

Reid had to roll his eyes. Luke made it sound so casual, like anybody could just up and buy a mansion whenever they felt like it. Still, he knew Luke was telling the truth. Luke had never flaunted his money; instead he used it to help others. "So do you like the apartment?"

"I do." Luke said. "Maybe you could hang up a picture or two, but other than that, it's great. Really good size."

"I was hoping you could help me pick out some stuff." Reid said. "We basically have the same taste, I'd leave it up to you."

Luke frowned. "Is that why you brought me here? So I could help you _decorate_?"

"Not necessarily." Reid stuck his hands in his pockets. "But I thought if you did decorate, you'd feel comfortable being here. Like it was your place too."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want you to live me."

"You what?" Luke just stared at Reid. "I thought you wanted me to go back to Oakdale?"

"I never said that." Reid corrected. "I said you shouldn't sign a lease for that suite, and you shouldn't. There's no sense in doing that when I already have an apartment. And look…" Reid led Luke into an empty bedroom. "This could be your office."

Luke studied it for a moment. "Where's your room?"

"Over there." Reid pointed to another door down the hall.

Luke went inside the bedroom and wasn't surprised to see it was as bare as the living room. Nothing except a chest of drawers and a bed. A cardboard box sat next to the bed as a makeshift table. "You weren't kidding when you said you haven't had time to buy anything."

"Are you going to help me?" Reid asked.

Luke went over to the cardboard box. A small lamp, an alarm clock, and the black Knight chess piece sat on top of it. Luke picked up the Knight. "You have no idea what I'd be like to live with. I'm not good with hanging up my cloths. They usually end up on the floor or on the bed."

"I'm not good with putting away food or doing dishes." Reid admitted. "The kitchen is usually a disaster. I cleaned it before bringing you here."

Luke looked at Reid. "Is that why you left earlier? You wanted to clean the kitchen?"

Reid shrugged. "It's the first thing you see when you walk in. I thought it'd be easier to sell you on the place if it were clean. And maybe I also needed a little time to think."

Luke sat the Knight back on the box. "So you admit, you have doubts about this."

"Not for the reasons you think." Reid said. "I _know_ what I want. What I've always wanted, practically since the day we met. But you're the one making all the sacrifices. You're the one giving up your home."

"Moving from Oakdale isn't a sacrifice," Luke went over to Reid, "Don't get me wrong, Podunk was a wonderful place to grow up and I'll always love it, but I never actually pictured spending the rest of my life there. I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life. And want to do it with you."

Reid brought his hand to Luke's face, caressing his cheek. "I guess it worries me to think, one day you'll wake up and decide it's not worth it. And you'll want to go home."

Luke softly smiled, suddenly understanding Reid's fear. Never in his life, had the Doctor so willingly and completely given himself to anyone. Reid was the one making the sacrifice. Luke covered Reid's hand with his own. "I am home."

Later that night, they returned to the suite. "It won't take me long to pack," Luke promised as he hurried into the bedroom.

Reid followed him. "Need help?"

"I've got it." Luke placed his suitcase on the bed, opened it and ran to the closet. "I'll only be a few minutes.

"Take your time." Reid went into the living room and flopped on the couch, sinking into the plush cushions. "Damn, this is nice. Didn't you already pay for a full week?"

"I can get my money back." Luke replied from the bedroom.

"Yeah, but the office isn't set up at the apartment yet." Reid reminded. "And you made it clear, the _only_ reason you needed this mini-mansion was for the fax machine and copier."

"We'll go to Office Depot tomorrow." Luke said. "And Pier-1 Imports. Oh, and Bed Bath & Beyond!"

Reid smiled, hearing the excitement in Luke's voice. To be honest, he was looking forward to it too. "But what's the rush? Why do we have to start all this tomorrow?"

Luke came out of the bedroom, his brow furrowed. "Are you having second thoughts about us living together?"

"No, you idiot."

"Then why not?" Luke asked. "There's so much stuff we need. The only thing in that apartment is a toothbrush and junk food."

"All the essentials." Reid said. "But why don't we do all that later. It wouldn't hurt to spend a night or two here. I don't get to enjoy accommodations like this that often. Plus I bet there's a pretty nice sized jacuzzi."

"There is." Luke smiled. "I guess it would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"A damn shame. Especially since we're not going to have one at the apartment." Reid stood and went to the large marble fireplace. He kicked off his shoes before stepping onto the large faux fur rug, lying in front of it. Reaching around the mantel, he flipped a switch and orange flames burst to life, dancing along the walls of the dimly lit room. Reid held his hands close to the fire, warming them. "You're also not going to have one of these."

Luke walked over to Reid and kicked off his own shoes before stepping on the rug. "I don't need a jacuzzi or fireplace."

"But since we have them for the moment…" Reid took off his jacket and tossed it aside. He then went behind Luke and slipped off his jacket.

Luke turned and wrapped his arms around Reid's shoulders. "I guess staying a night or two couldn't hurt."

"No it couldn't." Reid ran his fingers through Luke's long hair, admiring the way the fire made his highlights glow. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Luke smiled. "You're just saying that so I'll sign those documents for the hospital."

"Is it working?" Reid pulled Luke's head back and placed a soft kiss on his neck.

"Very much so." Luke closed his eyes as Reid continued to kiss from one side of his neck to the other. Reid's talented fingers slid under his shirt, massaging his back and slowly pulling the shirt up. Luke raised his arms, allowing Reid to pull it off then Reid raised his own arms so Luke could do the same.

They quickly discarded the rest of their cloths and went to their knees in front of the crackling warm fire. Luke pushed Reid onto his back and laid over him, kissing the Doctor's neck and nipping on his ear. He ran his hands over Reid's chest, thighs, and legs; never able to touch him enough.

"This is awesome." Reid exclaimed.

"You like that?"

"I mean this rug."

"_What_?" Luke raised is head, frowning.

Reid rolled them over and pressed Luke into the rug. Luke raised his eyebrows; the feel of the ultra soft fur against his naked skin, along with the feel of Reid's body over his was truly erotic. "Wow, we are _definitely_ getting one of these," he laughed.

Reid laughed with him. He couldn't wait to start making a real home with Luke. He couldn't wait to finally start their lives together. "We'll get whatever you want."

Luke smiled up at Reid, feeling an unexpected knot in his throat. This had to be the last time. He couldn't take loosing Reid again. "Don't ever leave me. If something happens—"

Reid placed his finger over Luke's lips. "Nothing's going to happen. I'm not going anywhere, except here." He stood and went into the bedroom.

Luke remained on the rug, waiting. He saw Reid's wallet had fallen out of his jeans and was laying open on the floor. Luke picked it up to set it aside then noticed a familiar piece of paper sticking out. Luke pulled out the small folded paper and opened it, recognizing his own handwriting: _I love you too_.

Luke smiled to himself. He'd always felt guilty about never telling Reid he loved him that night. Everything happened so fast, he never got the chance. And he wasn't sure if Agent Michaels had actually given Reid his note.

"I noticed this in your suitcase." Reid returned with a bottle of lubricate. "I should have known you'd bring it, expecting to have your way with me."

Luke held up the note. "You kept this?"

Reid sat beside him. "Where'd you get that?"

"It fell out of your wallet."

Reid took the note, re-reading it, as he had many times before. "I wasn't going to throw it away."

Luke pulled Reid to the rug on top of him, kissing him. They kissed for the longest time, and if that's all they ever did for the rest of their lives, Luke knew he would be content. There was nothing more he could ever want than Reid.

Reid rolled Luke onto his stomach and kissed the nape of his neck. Luke lay his head in his arms and closed his eyes as Reid slowly moved down his back, kissing each vertebrate of his spine. Reid's fingers glided down his sides, leaving a warm trail he could feel throughout his body.

Reid popped open the cap on the lube and Luke moved his leg up, silently giving Reid permission. He could feel Reid rubbing the lube over him, the Doctor's talented fingers slowly gliding in and out of his body. He buried his face into the rug when Reid started massaging his prostate.

Reid was in no hurry; he loved every unconscious, throaty sound Luke made. He lay across Luke's back, loving every unconscious move of his body. He buried his nose in Luke's hair, deeply inhaling his scent. There was nothing about Luke he didn't love. He removed his fingers and Luke impatiently pressed back against him. Reid entered him, inciting the sound he most wanted to hear; Luke's sexy, desire-filled groan. Reid groaned with him as he moved, making love to him slow and deep.

Luke clutched the rug and gasped when Reid's fingers tightly clutched his hair. The doctor increased his pace, while kissing and sucking on the overly sensitive area below Luke's ear. It drove him insane. Reid was so fucking amazing, he almost couldn't take it. Throwing all sense of shame out the window, Luke began to rub his aching cock against the rug. Reid moved a hand beneath him, grabbing him and holding him like a vice grip.

Now Luke groaned with frustration. If he were facing Reid, he would have slapped him. He so badly needed release and Reid wasn't going to allow it.

Reid pulled Luke's head up by his hair. "Tell me you love me." He huskily ordered.

"I love you, " Luke breathed, "I _fucking_ love you!"

Reid began to stoke Luke and Luke cried out, finally finding release. Reid came with him, pulling Luke's hair harder than he meant, but couldn't help it. No matter what, Luke had always made him relinquish his self-control. After he came down from his high, he lay over Luke for several seconds, just holding him.

Luke held the Doctor's arms against him, feeling Reid's heavy breath brush over the nape his damp neck. It was an incredible feeling. After a moment, Reid rolled him onto his back and brushed his lips over Luke's.

"I love you too." Reid returned.

Luke smiled. "I hope you're still going to love me when I'm bald. Because I think you pulled out most of my hair."

"Sorry," Reid ran his fingers through Luke's thick hair. "I'm sure I can get you a discount on hair plugs."

"Wow, you're so good to me."

Reid just smiled. "You know, this whole living in secret thing isn't sounding too bad. It's kind of hot and intriguing. Like we're doing something mysterious. I kind of like it."

"I kind of like it too." Luke caressed Reid's face. "You think you can handle it? Living this way for the rest of our lives?"

"As long as I'm with you, I can handle it." Reid laid on his back and pulled Luke to his chest, wrapping an arm around him. "What about you?"

"I can handle it." Luke gave Reid a kiss then laid his head on the Doctor's chest, listening to the rhythm of Reid's heartbeat. "It will be our own mysterious secret. Nobody else will ever know."

**The End**


End file.
